停止して不本意 Unwilling to Stop
by Roriko Kojima
Summary: Kotone Makoto is the youngest child of six children all who play a certain sport. Because all her brothers and sisters are pros she feels inferior and is determine to better herself. She tried many sports but wasn't good in any of them except being exceptional in basketball. Now she must not only prove her skills to her siblings, but to her team spectators and opponents.PLZ COMMENT
1. 黒子のバスケ: 少女選手？

黒子のバスケ: 少女選手？

Kuroko no Basket: A Girl Player?

_Look, if you had, one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything you've ever wanted, would you capture it, or just let it slip?_

Kotone and her friend Ryu walked through the quad where Seirin High school's club fair took place. She had checked out plenty of the clubs but they didn't interest her at all. She only had one thing she wanted in mind; basketball.

"Can you wait a minute Ryu-kun; I'm gonna go check out the basketball team." She said.

"Are you sure? Most members are competitive jerks." He said nonchalantly. She frowned.

"Shut up." She said a little annoyed, straying away. Ryu didn't like playing on teams, since he thought that people like that only train to show off. But her reason was purely to prove herself to everyone.

It was Kuroko's turn to man the basketball club's table. So far, there weren't any sign ups, until a girl with long dark brown hair came up and took a sheet. She didn't seem to notice him, even though he was right in front of her. She picked up a pencil, wrote down her name and left. Kuroko picked up the paper and saw that she had only written her last name, Makoto. He followed her.

As she began walking back to Ryu, she suddenly felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She spun around and was startled by the blue haired boy that tapped her shoulder. She panted from fright.

"Are you stupid? Don't go scaring people like that." She scolded. He ignored her and held up the signing sheet she filled out earlier.

"You didn't write down your full name." he said impassively. She crossed her arms, shooting him a glare.

"I'd write it, but my name's not unisexual one like Ryou or Hikaru." She replied simply. He gawked at her.

"I don't understand." He said. She heaved a heavy sigh and palmed her head.

"You really are an idiot are you." She insulted. "As soon as they see it's a girl's name on the paper, they wouldn't consider me." she explained.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Makoto Kotone." She answered.

"You're pretty stupid Kotone-san." He affronted emotionlessly. She furrowed her brows.

"Huh?"

"If you think they won't let a girl play then what's the point of even signing up? Doing this only proves that you aren't confident in your abilities." he retorted. She felt the urge to smack him, but he was kind of right. She snatched the paper from his hand and wrote her full name, and her reason for joining. Kotone gave it back to him and left in a huff. He skimmed over the paper and erased her first name, thinking it would be for the best. The others had returned, but of course didn't notice him right away. He startled Riko.

"We got a sign up." He reported simply.

"Just one; oh well it can't be helped." She said taking the sheet from his hand.

"Makoto; where's the rest of his name?" asked Hyuga.

"Sh—"he stopped for a moment. "He must've forgotten. He was in a rush." Kuroko lied. Kiyoshi looked at the paper.

"Well, there's nothing special with this one; spent middle school in Ryuko Junior High in Tokyo." He continued reading what "he" wrote and saw the goal; to be better. He smiled. "We'll just see at practice how good he is."

###

As soon as the school day was over, Kotone dawdled to the gym. She made it to the door, but was hesitant to even place her hand on it. She suddenly felt someone push her roughly.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot." Ryu told.

"Don't do that!" she yelled.

"Are you nervous?" he inquired. She paused, and searched for the right words.

"More like afraid. I have no clue to how they'll react to me." she responded with little confidence in her voice. Ryu beamed a smile and patted her head.

"Don't worry my dear imouto (little sister) even if you completely lose your nerves, Ryu-nii will cheer you up."

She scoffed. "Stop treating me like a kid. Thank you anyway." She acknowledged.

On the other side of the door, the Seirin Team waited in their gym uniforms and sat on the benches, waiting for their new teammate to show up. Riko tapped her foot impatiently.

"Don't tell me Makoto-kun forgot about his appointment." She said with a pout.

"I'm sorry I'm late." they heard someone say. They looked at the opening door. It was the dark brunette that Kuroko had seen earlier. They all gawked at her.

"W-what's your name?" Riko asked.

"Makoto Kotone." She answered. They all twitched with confusion and surprise. Riko grabbed Kuroko by his shirt.

"Kuroko-kun, you said 'he' you said it was a boy!" she said angrily but as quiet as possible through her clenched teeth. He didn't respond.

"I'm sorry Makoto-kun; there's been a little problem. You can go now." Riko said. It felt as if someone just jabbed her in the stomach.

"B-but, you haven't even seen my skills yet." She protested. "Are you not letting me join, because I'm a girl?"

"No, not at all; I'm sure your skills are decent but this team has been an all-boys team ever since, we just don't think you'll feel comfortable with us." Riko denied. It was all lies, Kotone thought.

"We should start practice now." Hyuga said, paying no attention to Kotone.

"Yeah you're right. Everyone, get going." She saw with the blow of her whistle. Kotone clenched her fists tightly as frustration built slowly inside her. She was used to being treated this way. Whenever she wanted to play with her brother and their friends, they hardly ever handed her the ball. In junior high, they didn't offer real basketball to girls. But now, she wasn't even offered a chance. She could no longer take it.

They began doing a practice game; first years vs. second years as usual. Koganei passed it to Hyuga, who then passed it to Mitobe to execute a hook shot. With no warning Kotone was suddenly sprinting on the court. She sprang high into the air and interfered with Mitobe's shot. She smacked the ball down and it went bouncing across the court. The others went for it, but again she obstructed them. Kotone speedily dashed across the full court, dribbling the ball and then executed an overhand lay-up. The ball hit the backboard and went through the net smoothly.

Everyone stood silent. Sweat dripped down from her forehead and rolled off her chin. Her feet returned to the ground and she shot a cold look at the coach.

"How about now; are still refusing to give me a chance?" she retorted.


	2. 黒子のバスケ: 証拠

黒子のバスケ: 証拠

Kuroko no Basket: Proof

"Self-talk reflects your innermost feelings." ― Asa Don Brown

Everybody was still shocked silent by Kotone's feat. It was a high jump to stop a hook shot, and it took quickness to sprint down the whole court. Riko had seen the error of her ways, but he wasn't fully convinced yet. Kotone stood firmly, staring back, waiting for their answer.

"Well?" she asked.

"That was pretty good." Riko admitted. "Please change into your gym uniform so I can examine you fully."

Kotone raised a brow, confused, but nevertheless did what she was told and headed into the locker room to change. Hyuga confronted Riko.

"Coach, are you sure you wanna take this chance on this girl?" he asked. She didn't reply. Kotone returned swiftly, this time changed into her dark blue and white striped bloomers and white gym shirt, keeping her black thigh highs on. Riko stepped close and analyzed her keenly from head to toe. Her calves were fairly slim, not muscular at all like the others of course, so she had average leg strength. Her leg strength lowered from her jumps and sprints. But, her legs were long and slender, so she compensated for her lack of length strength for speed. Riko then moved on to the abdominal area and scrawled on paper on her clipboard.

"Height one hundred and point sixty two meters, weighing about one hundred twenty four kilograms." She recited as she wrote. Kotone gawked, amazed.

"How did—"Hyuga cut her short.

"She has analyzing abilities that she learned from her dad who worked at a gym. When she looks at your body she sees your measurements, ability and potential." He explained.

Riko continued with her scrutinizing. She studied her arms; they were slim and had little potency.

"You need to start working out your arms; looking at you, your limit is about twenty or less for push-ups." She advised as she continued. She twitched when she got to Kotone's slightly plump chest. Her heart rate wasn't what she was focused on, it was her chest size. It was a 34 C cup.

"Makoto-san, what grade are you in?" She asked, her eye twitching still.

"A first year." Kotone replied. She screamed in her head; _how can she be younger than me and have a bigger size?! _She thought to herself.

"Are you almost finished?" she asked. Riko snapped back to reality.

"Ah yes of course Kotone-san." She said with a nod.

"I think we should give her a chance Aida-san. You and I both can see the potential in this one." Kiyoshi said to Riko as he walked back to the bench. She heaved a sigh.

"I guess we should see you play some more. Join the other first years for a practice game." Riko said. Kotone formed a small grin of relied.

"Thank you, I won't disappoint." She assured with a nod, heading to the court to join them.

"It's nice to have you on our team… what's your name again?" Furihata asked.

"I'm Makoto Kotone, it's nice to meet you guys." She said as politely as possible.

"Just try to keep up kid." Kagami told taciturnly with a somewhat disapproving look as he walked past her. She shot a look back at him. _I'll show you _she thought. The game started up again. The score at the moment was three to two. The second years being three and the first years being two. Fukuda had the ball and past it to Kuroko, who smacked the ball to the left and passing it to Kagami. He sprung into the air and dunked it in the hoop, making their score four.

A few minutes continued in the game and the score was six to five; Kagami had been gaining all their points. Kotone panted with frustration. She felt tired, but she knew that she wasn't doing anything but sprinting back and forth. No one was even guarding her, as if she was being neglected or forgotten. She was the smallest playing and was almost as invisible as Kuroko was on the court. Sweat began dripping as she felt Kuroko jostle her in her shoulder as he jogged by.

"Please remain open as you have been." He instructed.

"Like that will be a problem." She muttered to herself, wiping the perspiration with her forearm. The practice resumed. Koganei had obtained the ball but it was immediately stolen by Furihata. He threw it to Kuroko. Instead of passing it to Kagami as he had been doing he instead threw it in a high arc to the edge of the half court. It landed in Kotone's arms; all attention was suddenly directed at her. Kagami frowned at Kuroko's actions, but he couldn't do anything about it. She sprinted as she dribbled. She could hear the squeaking of sneakers and rapid steps against the glossy floor.

Mitobe suddenly ran beside her and got in front of her. The other second years had caught up in little time. _They're fast _she thought with building anxiety. She veered on her toes as quickly as she could, losing a bit of her balance, almost falling. She managed to keep the ball in her possession. She got close to the net and executed a short jump shot. It went in, scoring them another two points. However, when she tried to get the rebound, Tsuchida got to it. They elbowed and shoved past Kotone as they headed back to the other court.

"I told you to keep up." Kagami scolded, shoving her to the side as he jogged back. She scowled at his remark.

"Don't let him get to you Kotone-san." Kuroko comforted. She kept her chin up and sprinted back to the other court. By the time she made it there the other team made a three pointer. Time was almost over by a few seconds and the score was nine to seven. Despite the wearing time Kotone rushed after the ball that was in Huyga's possession, but when Coach called the time, it was too late and she fell from not being able to slow down.

"Makoto-san, are you alright?" Koganei asked. Kotone panted and sat on the floor with overwhelming depression. Her only chance to make an impression on the team and she blew it.


	3. 黒子のバスケ:不良

黒子のバスケ:不良

Kuroko no Basket: Inferiority

"_We must interpret a bad temper as a sign of inferiority." ~Alfred Adler _

Kotone was still on the shiny waxed floor of the court. She palmed her sweating temples. _How could I mess up that badly? _She asked herself with shame. Kuroko finally forced her to get up.

"Don't worry about it; it was a good game." Hyuga assured. She felt someone bump into her intentionally, again it was Kagami.

"You should have aimed for a three pointer." He criticized. His voice lowered, but it was still audible enough for her to hear when he said "that's why I hate the weak." That was the last straw; she had just had enough. She turned, her eyes blazing fury.

"So what, at least I'm not a ball hog!" she shouted at him. He stopped and shot her a fierce glare.

"What?"

"Besides don't act like you're better, all you can do is dunk the damn ball. So don't critique me about not making a three pointer you dumbass." She tongue lashed mercilessly.

"Look you—"Kagami began, stepping closer, until Koganei and Mitobe held him back. She felt Kuroko rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Please try to calm down Makoto-san." He advised impassively. She nudged away from him.

"I'm out of here." She uttered with a huff as she stormed out the door, not bothering to change out of her gym uniform. No one tried to stop her.

###

She went out and saw that it was starting to get late. The sky was painted varying hues of gold, pink and light orange. She tugged on her purple gym bag with frustration. She was still unsure whether or not her actions were worth it or not. Everyone said she did fine, but they could've just been pitying her. She began walking home, dragging her feet as she passed the park.

"Oi Koto-chan!" she heard Ryu's voice holler. He was sitting on a park bench with his book bag and uniform jacket slung over her shoulder. He had waited for her.

"So how did tryouts go?" he asked. She frowned.

"Horrible." She replied with a sigh. He draped a consoling arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay, Nii-chan will listen to your sob story." He joshed. She glared at her.

"This is serious Ryu." She told. He laughed off her seriousness.

"I'm sorry my dear imouto. Anyways we should get going to your house for dinner, I'm starving." He said. "You can tell me there."

She heaved a heavy outbreath, distressed that she would have to recite her day to all her older siblings.

###

"I'm home." Kotone announced as she and Ryu slipped off their shoes and placed them neatly on the side. She tossed her bag on the couch.

"Onee-san, can you please set up another plate?" she requested. Out of nowhere her older twin brothers, Kenta and Kenji were wrestling around on the floor; probably fighting about something idiotic as usual. Kenji attempted to punch Kenta, the younger, but missed.

"Ha! Missed you dumbass!" he insulted.

"Who you callin' a dumbass?!" Kenji shouted back. Kotone twitched, annoyed.

"You're home Koto-chan and I see you brought Toshiyuki-kun." Her eldest sister, Okamine, said coming from the kitchen accompanied by her second eldest sister Momoiro. Out of nowhere her brother Taro came rushing in, breaking up the twins fight with his wooden sword. Her family was mostly like that throughout her life.

Her family consisted mostly of siblings all older than her and blessed with a talent for certain sports. Okamine, the eldest daughter of the family was twenty years old and was going to college in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, so she was at home most of the time. Her brown hair was many shades lighter than most of the others and very straight. During her high school years she exceeded in boxing, managing to knock out her rivals in the ring, but it was an extracurricular activity. In school she played tennis.

Yutaka, the second oldest sister was a third year and in Seirin with Kotone. She was a newbie in softball but had excelled with no problem and eventually became the captain. Her hair was shoulder length and wavy. Then there were the troublesome twins who were second year Seirin students. They argued constantly, but they were good teammates in soccer and they dabbled in basketball.

Lastly there was their oldest brother Taro. He was a third year Seirin student along with Yutaka. He acted a lot like a strict militant man, always keeping the twins in line. He was the kendo club's ace, and always fought with great force and not much passion. That was what they all did. They were gifted with their abilities and never needed to practice very hard, but they did futilely.

She felt so second-rate to them. Because they all played and were amazing in sports, she had tried out for many, but failed in all of them but basketball. When she discovered that, she worked relentlessly to perfect her skills. But the aptness she strived for was still distant from her grasp.

"So how did tryouts go Koto-chan?" Okamine asked. They sat at the table and began eating dinner. She paused, hesitant to reply.

"I—"Taro cut her sentence short.

"They didn't accept you did they?" he said sternly.

"I never said—"again she was interrupted.

"Don't sweat it Koto-chan, it's understandable why they wouldn't pick you." Kenta belittled unintentionally. Kenji jabbed him in the shoulder.

"Shut it you idiot, you'll hurt her feelings." He scolded.

"I didn't mean to!" he protested.

"Quiet the both of you." Taro ordered, sipping on his tea. "Kotone it's alright if they didn't allow you. You might've faced the fiercest players of Tokyo's Kings." He comforted. Kotone could see right past their comforting words. She got up from her seat and hurried out the door.

"Koto-chan wait!" Ryu called, hurrying after her. Emotionlessly, Okamine pinched Kenta's cheeks painfully tight.

"Watch what you say." She warned.


	4. 黒子のバスケ少女の自己価値

黒子のバスケ: 少女の自己価値

Kuroko no Basket: A Girl's Self-worth

"_My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." ― Henry Ford_

Frustrated, Kotone hurried down the pavement, strolling down the pavement to clear her mind. Her siblings didn't mean to hurt her, she knew that, but the words already did their damage. It seemed no matter how fast she would try to dash forward, something would always get in her way. She walked past a few open stores and restaurants when she heard Ryu's footsteps. She had nearly forgotten that he was chasing after her. She stopped, turning her head so she wouldn't have to show him her crying face. He finally caught up.

"There you are Koto-chan, I finally caught up to you." He said, panting. He gawked when he noticed that she was deliberately hiding her face.

"Koto-chan are you alright?" he asked. A small nod was her only reply to his question. He noticed a small convenient store across the street. "Stay here alright, Nii-chan get you some yummy anpan, you didn't finish dinner anyway." He attempted to comfort. Kotone stayed put as he instructed her to when she heard a small bark. She turned around and saw a small Alaskan Malamute puppy. The top of his coat was black, while his tummy and legs were snow-white. It stood there, looking at her and not much else. Kotone had a sweet spot for adorable animals. She bent down to pet it, but it started growling out of self-defense. She formed a small warm grin.

"Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you." She assured in a calm kind voice. He settled and allowed her to gently pet the top of his head. He started wagging his tail contently as her hand lowered to scratch his neck. She suddenly felt something cold slide down her back, sending her in chills and making her scream. She spun around and saw that Kuroko was the culprit.

"Hi, Makoto-kun." He greeted impassively as usual.

"Don't do that!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms behind her back, reaching for the popsicle that he slid down her back. Luckily it was still in one piece; it didn't melt nor leave its unwanted stickiness on her skin.

"You looked kinda sad, so you can keep that." He said.

"You could've just given it to me instead of putting it in my shirt." She told, accepting the popsicle anyway. The puppy she encountered jumped around Kuroko's ankles excitedly. He scooped him up in his arms.

"This is Nigou (number two). Say hi to her Nigou." Kuroko introduced, controlling the pup's paw to wave up and down cutely at Kotone. She smiled and such frivolous adorability.

"I take it this cutie's yours." She guessed. Kuroko nodded.

"Please don't let Kagami-kun stop you. He's just a bit mean most of the time." he advised.

"Is that so?" she said sarcastically as she bit a cold chunk from the popsicle.

"Also I want to tell you that the team thought you did pretty okay at practice." He relayed. She rolled her eyes as she sucked on the flavored ice, assuming the compliment was out of pity.

"Keep your head up Makoto-kun, a victory might come your way." He said as he walked off. She gawked at him as he strolled away, finishing the last bits of her popsicle. When the blue chunks were bitten away, she saw the word "winner" written on it. She grinned.

###

After Ryu got back, she traded the free popsicle she won because of Kuroko for the red bean bread that Ryu bought her. The dawdled back home and Kotone worked up the nerve to talk about what happened. She told him how she lost her nerves and yelled at a fellow teammate and how she made the team lose. He slurped the melting sweet juices of his orange flavored popsicle.

"It wasn't your fault Koto-chan; it's a common rookie mistake it can happen to anybody." He comforted. She furrowed her brows.

"But that's just it, I'm not a rookie! I've been playing and practicing it for almost two years now and I've barely made any progress." She berated herself. He rested his hand on her head and playfully messed up her hair.

"Why're you acting like that now?" he asked. "You and I played basketball on the streets and we had fun."

"You just don't get it." she said, folding her arms. He paused for a moment, and then laughed off her solemnity. He messed up her hair even more.

"Serious now are we my little imouto. Don't tell me you're doing this because you feel tiny." He joshed like the big brother he always tried to be. She shooed away his hand.

"Please don't mess up my hair." She told.

"I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's okay. Thank you Nii-chan." She acknowledged. Suddenly she found herself gasping for air as she was embraced tightly in Ryu's arms.

"Yay you said it for once! You called me Nii-chan! You're so cute imouto!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Alright, alright already; just let go of me!" She screamed. He finally released her from his tight hug and then lifted her onto his back piggy-back style.

"C'mon you've had a long day, I'll carry you home okay." He said with a charming smile. She blushed and then forced a scolding look.

"Just bring me home by eight sharp; my brothers and sisters are gonna send out a search party if I'm not back before then." she ordered, glancing at her watch.

"Yes my lady!" he saluted like a soldier.

###

Ryu jogged easily with Kotone on her back. She was dozing off every now and then, eventually slipping into a cat nap. After a few minutes they arrived back at the doorstep. She stirred slowly awake and glanced at her watch, seven fifty-six.

"Looks like you brought me home on time." she said in a soft tired voice, getting off from his back.

"Goodnight Koto-chan." He said.

"Goodnight."


	5. 黒子のバスケ: すべて私が知っ前進移動することです

黒子のバスケ: すべて私が知っ前進移動することです

Kuroko no Basket: All I Know is to Move Forward

_It's not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward._

The next day, Kotone and Ryu headed up to the roof to eat their lunch. To their surprise, they found the whole Seiren Team there, as if they were expecting them.

"There you are Makoto-kun, we've been looking for you." said Riko.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You forgot to pick up this." Kiyoshi replied, throwing her some gathered up clothes. Kotone caught them and unfolded them. It was a pair of black/white and red shorts and a matching jersey that had the name Seirin on it; underneath it the number fourteen. She glanced up and gawked at them.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Make sure you show up at the gym on time today." Hyuga said in a strict yet somewhat friendly tone. Kotone was about to speak, but before she could utter even a single syllable; she felt Ryu's hand suddenly on her head.

"She'll be there." He assured them, beaming a congratulatory grin. She grinned back.

###

Eager, she had arrived five minutes early at the gym. The coach had told her to change into her uniform while the guys weren't there. She hurried into the girls' locker room and changed. Since the uniforms were specifically fabricated for boys only, it didn't quite right. It was the smallest size they had to offer, but it was a bit loose, except for the area around her chest. The white shorts reached her knees and were just plain uncomfortable. She exchanged them for the black gym shorts she had in her gym bag. They fit snugly around her waist and stopped at her thigh, showing off her slender legs. She looked at her reflection in the full body length mirror. The shirt was still too big and nearly covered her shorts.

"Hey where's Koto-chan; she did say she was gonna be here right?" Izuki asked as he and the others entered the gym.

"I'm having her try on her team uniform." Riko replied. She then turned to Kagami and jabbed him in the stomach. "And you remember to apologize!" she ordered. He hugged his abdominal in pain.

"Yes coach." He promised in a hoarse voice.

"So how does it look?" they heard Kotone ask. Since they all didn't have much experience dealing with girls, all they could do was stand there mouths agape and blush furiously (except for Kuroko and Kagami that is). She noticed their gazes.

"Huh… what's the matter?" she asked them. They lept their mouths shut and didn't reply

"You look cute." Kuroko said abruptly with little emotion. A streak of rosy pink blush rushed across her face. She lowered her head. He gawked down on her.

"Huh, Makoto—"before Kuroko could finish she suddenly jumped up and head-butted him under his chin. He fell backward and down to the floor. Her flustered expression remained, but her brows furrowed.

"D-don't say something like that so casually." She stuttered furiously and embarrassed.

"Easy there Koto-chan, don't go killing Kuroko before practice." Kiyoshi said. "We should get ready to play now."

###

Practice went much smoother than yesterday's. The first years won ten to seven and Kotone got a few chances to shoot, though it was still mostly Kagami making the points. She got used to his style of playing though, and no longer felt the need to get so easily pissed off by him. She walked outside to the school gate so she could wait for Ryu to pick her up. She noticed Kagami standing there munching on a sandwich he saved to eat after practice. Seeing nothing better to do, she stood uneasily beside him, keeping her moth silent as she stole a glimpse of him. He noticed her immediately, glancing back at her quickly and then paying no mind to her.

"Sorry." He said his mouth still full. "About the other day."

"Well I guess I'm sorry too." She apologized.

"Don't get any ideas; I'm only apologizing 'cause coach made me to." He said as he was about to take another monstrous bite. He paused and broke off a sufficing piece and handed it to Kotone. She paused and then accepted it hesitatingly.

"Remember when I told you to keep up?" he asked. She nodded as she bit pieces off. "I didn't mean it as a scolding; if you aren't capable of keeping up, they'll eat you up."

"What do you mean?"

"There are players stronger than almost any player I've ever seen. Have you ever heard of the Generation of Miracles?" he asked. She nodded and pretended to know. "Well they exist and there the best there is. So you need to be prepared for them."

###

Ryu finally arrived to walk her home. She was unusually silent as the dawdled back home.

"Is something on your mind Koto-chan?" Ryu asked, breaking the silence she formed.

"Have you ever heard of the Generation of Miracles?" she asked. He looked up at the sky and pondered for a moment.

"Generation of Miracles?" he repeated. "I think so; I heard of them back in middle school. They were a team formed in Teiko, the strongest ever."

"I see." she said to herself.

"Why do you ask?" Ryu inquired.

"I think I know what I'll do now." She replied vaguely. _If I can take down those guys, then I'll show everyone just how fast I can advance. _She thought.

"Just remember not to get ahead of yourself my little imouto." He reminded. Kotone frowned, but then bursted into a grin, her eyes blazing energetically.

"Just you wait; the more I work the more progress I make and then I won't be so little anymore." She exclaimed virtuously. He was worried, but masked it well behind a façade of proudness.

"Then I guess I'll be seeing you as one of their regulars." He supported.


	6. 僕の電位

黒子のバスケ:僕の電位

Kuroko no Basket: My Potential

_Just because Fate doesn't deal you the right cards, it doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential. ~ Les Brown _

Kotone had been accepted right away by the Seirin members. She strolled along the school grounds, accompanied by them, looking for a place to eat their lunch. As they neared the outside basketball courts, she spotted Ryu sharpening his basketball skills.

"Oi, Ryu-nii over here!" she called. He turned his head as soon as he heard her and beamed a charming smile.

"Ryu-nii; he's your brother?" asked Kagami.

"Of course not." She replied.

"Hey Koto-chan." Ryu greeted back, then smiled and waved at the team. "It's an honor to meet you guys. I'm second year Toshiyuki Ryu." He introduced.

"Oh yeah you're the guy who was with Makoto-kun the other day." noted Koganei.

"You play basketball?" Hyuga asked.

"Yup." He answered simply with a nod.

"Are you good?"

"You tell me." Ryu retorted. He started sprinting around the court in a weaving direction and then jumped in the three point zone, releasing the ball swiftly. It swooshed through the net.

"Nice shot; you know we could use someone like you on our team." Riko suggested. His smile suddenly faded.

"I'd rather not." He said in a melancholy tone. Kotone was the only one who knew about it, so she immediately changed topics.

"Kiyoshi-senpai, Hyuga-senpai, do you wanna play against me and Ryu?" she abruptly asked.

"Sure it sounds fun." Kiyoshi replied. "What do you say Hyuga-kun?"

"Alright." Hyuga agreed.

###

The four started their two-on-two half-court match. As a sign of respect for her teammates, she let them have possession of the ball first. Hyuga dribbled it for a few seconds then passed it to Kiyoshi. Kotone dashed for the ball but he swiftly swerved right passed her and executed an underhand layup. Hyuga attempted to get the rebound, but Ryu sprang up high out of nowhere and caught it in his hand. Kotone was guarded by Kiyoshi and Ryu wasn't faring well against Hyuga's precision and speed. He couldn't let him steal the ball away, but he was in no position to make a rational shot. He spun around and threw the ball high into the air with a little arc. It was far from a sensible shot. It bounced on the ground but it bounced back high and went through the net easily.

Everyone's jaws almost dropped at the coup. But Kotone and especially Kagami knew exactly what those were. Risky and astonishing feats of trick shots. Kagami had only seen trick shots performed for fun and showing off, but never for a game because most trick shots broke out of the boundaries. To see a person execute one while remaining in the margins was truly something to see. The score was two to three and the game was first one to ten or higher.

Kotone seized the rebound and looked over at Ryu with a smirk. Now they can really be on the offense. She and Ryu started running and intersecting each other like a knot, but keeping a great amount of distance between them. As they intersected they passed with great speed, making it difficult for either of their opponents to steal it. That's when they noticed they were performing a very used basketball drill. It was supposed to be three since it was called a three man weave, but they were able to make due with just the two of them. Ryu passed it to Kotone and she earned them another two points.

"They're better than I expected." Kiyoshi said with a winded voice. Hyuga wiped the sweat from his forhead with his shirt.

"Yeah… I didn't think that Ryu would be this skilled. He plays like a pro." He commented, panting.

Riko kept a close eye on all of players, but was focusing a bit more on Ryu and Kotone. All of their numbers became lower as expected, but Ryu's and Kotone's hadn't lowered that much, despite their excessive use of energy just to defend themselves from Hyuga and Kiyoshi. That's when Riko remembered how skilled runners at her father's gym could run for long periods of time and get used to being tired.

"They're really beating us." Hyuga said.

"Don't give up yet it's not over; c'mon it's clutch time." Kiyoshi lifted his spirits.

"Got it!"

Suddenly, they noticed that Hyuga's skills improved dramatically and abruptly. He became quicker, more precise and harder to stop. The two easily caught up in no time. It was no surprise since he's a clutch shooter. Hyuga was not the only one who had stepped up his game, but Kiyoshi did as well. His hands were fairly large and he was able to hold on to the ball longer than Kotone. She shot it, but it missed. Ryu tried to get the rebound, but Kiyoshi grabbed it with one hand and jumped, executing a dunk. Kotone wiped the perspiration from her brow. _Looks like they've been holding back all this time. _She kept her head up and continued offense instead of heading back to a defensive mode like Ryu had done.

###

The game had ended and it was set at a tie; it wasn't the win that Kotone had hoped for, but she decided to let it go. After all it was simply for fun. School was now over as well and she waited by the door for Ryu to finish packing up his things.

"I'm sorry that we didn't win." He apologized. She smiled.

"It's okay, it was fun to play right?" she tried to cheer. He smiled back.

"I'm glad that you haven't change." He said, relieved.

"What do you mean by change?" They suddenly heard Kuroko's voice say. They turned, startled. Ryu palmed his chest.

"Don't go scaring us like that kid."

"Oh yeah I never got your name." Kotone remembered.

"Kuroko Testuya." He replied. "Please answer my question Toshiyuki-senpai."

"When people play sports, they start off, feeling carefree and believing they're playing for fun. But competition can change and opponents get scary." He explained as he remembered playing basketball in junior high.

He remembered being pushed around by the older, more experienced players and getting berated if he missed a shot. If his team won everything would be alright, but if they didn't they'd act like everything was worthless. Ryu recalled how aggressive their opponents were, especially when his school Ryuko versed Teiko. They had him sprinting back and forth on the courts, running as if they'd kill him, running as if his life depended on it. It was a dreadful feeling, and the reason why he quitted.

"I see what you mean." Kuroko replied simply.

"I'm just trying to strive for a goal Ryu, I won't change I promise." Kotone swore. He didn't reply. Sure that's what she said now, but sooner or later she'll lose herself, Ryu thought with anxiety.


	7. 予測不能模造

黒子のバスケ:予測不能模造

Kuroko no Basket: Unpredictable Imitations

_Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ~ Charles Caleb Colton _

At the next gathering in the gym, they talked about their next game; a practice match against Kaijo High School. Because Kotone had no experience with them they informed her as best as they could. Then they moved onto the topic of a certain player; Ryouta Kise. Riko told her that he was a part of the Generation of Miracles and was a strong player.

"Kaijo is a really tough team. We had some trouble with them before, but maybe this time we can win easy, if we train harder that is!" Riko exclaimed. Everyone groaned and griped at the idea.

"But Coach these drills are hard enough as it is!" Koganei complained. Kotone, however, smiled at the idea.

"It's alright with me." she agreed with the shrug of her shoulders. Everyone gave her a shocked look.

(?!)

"Now that's the spirit." Kiyoshi praised. "Now let's get started, maybe we'll have time to teach you how to dunk."

###

Kotone was accompanied with Kuroko and Kagami as they staggered home together. She regretted her words; the drills that Riko made them exercise were far worse than she had expected it to be. She dragged her feet, stretched, and heaved a giant yawn.

"Haaaaaahh… I'm tired." She stated in a soft exhausted voice.

"What happened to all that energy in the beginning?" Kagami retorted.

"Shut up." She countered.

Kuroko then handed Kotone a magazine that was flipped to a page with a good looking blonde basketball player.

"What's this?" she asked taking it from his hand.

"The person in that article is Kise Ryouta." He replied. She looked at his picture and blushed a little.

"He's cute." She admitted under her breath.

"What did you say, Makoto-kun?" Kuroko asked. She hid her flustered expression.

"Nothing!" she denied. She calmed her nerves. "So this is the guy Coach Aida was talking about, huh?"

She read the lengthy amount of text. It stated that Kise was a part of the Generation of Miracles, and had the least amount of experience in the group. Despite his lack of familiarity, he was accepted right away and became a regular among them. He quickly excelled in the sport and had rapidly earned fame. She frowned a little. _A guy who has it so easy _she thought to herself.

"A regular from the Generation Miracles, huh?" she then smiled. "Well then, looks like I'll just have to train a little bit more than usual." She said casually.

###

Kagami felt hungry so he and Kuroko decided to stop by a nearby fast food place. Kuroko ordered only a vanilla milkshake and Kagami ordered almost a dozen of burgers, as usual.

"Don't you think Kotone's pushing herself too much?" Kagami inquired as he munched on his food.

"Not really." Kuroko replied impassively, sipping on his drink. Kagami twitched a bit.

"But she says she's always practicing, I don't think Coach would like her doing that." He said.

"Oi, Kurokocchi, Kagamicchi!" they heard a familiar voice holler. They turned around and saw it was Kise.

"It's nice to see you guys again." He greeted amiably. "I'm excited for our practice match tomorrow, how about you Kurokocchi?"

"Not really." He replied simply.

"You're so mean!" Kise whined. "Oh well, who knows maybe we'll beat you this time. We've been working hard ever since."

Kagami furrowed his brows, feeling a little annoyed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself we've got a new and amazing player, Makoto-kun." He exaggerated.

"A new player? Can't wait to see what he's got."

###

Both teams, Kaijo and Seiren prepared for the practice game. Like before, Kotone had arrived a little earlier than everyone else to change into her uniform. She waited on the bench, her Seirin jacket on as she did some stretches for warm up. She heard some people coming in from the door. They were cladded in blue shorts and jerseys that had Kaijo written on them. Moriyama ceased talking when he spotted Kotone.

"Heh! She's so cute!" he exclaimed.

"Moriyama-kun, not this again." Kasamatsu griped palming his head.

"Yeah, she might be one of the player's girlfriend or something." said Kise. She scowled at them.

"What are you, dumbasses?" she bad mouthed in an austere tone. They gaped at her. She heaved a distressed sigh and pulled down the zipper of her jacket, revealing her team jersey to them.

"I'm one of them." she stated proudly. They were still shocked. _A girl… on Seirin's team? _Kise thought.

"Wait, you're not the 'Makoto-kun' that Kurokocchi told me about are you?" Kise asked.

"I am; my full name's Makoto Kotone." She replied. They still stood; they had no idea how to react to her, but he just smiled and extended out his hand.

"Well it's nice to meet you; I'm looking forward to facing you." He said. She didn't shake his hand.

"Same here." She replied, walking away from him.

###

The others gathered and the practice match had begun. No one paid much attention to Kotone, but she was much more noticeable than Kuroko was. When they took a short break, Riko instructed that they start passing it to Kotone since they have no prior knowledge of her skills, making them bewildered. They agreed. When the second half resumed, Kuroko directed the moving ball to Kotone.

She started dribbling and maneuvering past her opponents at grate speed. Her steering was risky and unreliable, but she had learned this movement in street ball. Kotone smiled as an idea popped into her head. She ran to the right side and executed a lay-up, but the arc of the throw was way too high. It obviously wasn't going to go in, so the players started running back to the net zone. But that was a bluff. She quickly moved to the other side where the ball was about to drop. She sprang up and managed to slam it in. She had Kiyoshi to thank for her dunking ability.

Kise saw how she executed her feat. Kasamatsu stole the ball from Mitobe and quickly passed it over to Kise. He had difficulty copying her maneuvering exactly, but he didn't let this slow him down. He recited her steps in his head. _Run to the right side of the offense zone near the basket, and then feign an underhand layup with a high arc. _He did exactly what he saw. The Seirin team fell for the same trick and ran to get the rebound. Kise moved to the other side and dunked in the ball. Kotone was speechless; _what is this? How can he be copying my moves so easily?_

They continued handing Kotone the ball, and she continued performing her bags of tricks and bluffs. But Kise would pull the same stunt. He copied everything; her twists at the free throw line, her offensive charging feints and spin maneuvering. Finally the game ended with Kaijo winning by a mere one point.

Disappointed with herself, Kotone dawdled to the bench and wiped the dripping sweat from her face with the edge of her shirt.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I'm sorry I made us lose."

"It's just practice, no need to worry about it." Izuki comforted. Kise walked over with a smile.

"You guys did great out there." He praised.

"Thanks." Acknowledged Hyuga. Kise then glanced over to Kotone.

"You too Kotocchi, you looked really adorable out there."

She clenched her fists as Kise patted her head gently. She finally lost all her composure and struck him in the jaw. He stumbled backwards, holding his jaw in pain.

"Don't give me that cutesy crap; you've been mocking me the entire game. If you're really gifted you should be able to come up with your own moves, not copy the ones I tried so hard to perfect." She berated, leaving the gym in a huff.


	8. 黒子のバスケ: 長いストライドを服用

黒子のバスケ: 長いストライドを服用

Kuroko no Basket: Taking Long Strides

_We hit a stride where all self-consciousness disappeared. ~ Joshua Leonard _

When Kotone got home, she started contemplating about ways she could surpass Kise's abilities. Every shot she made, no matter how unique and astonishing, he could copy and execute it with more power and precision. She told her siblings that she would be a little late. She stayed at a basketball court in the park. She practiced her shooting and dribbling in what she that was pointless. Frustrated with not being able to think, she hurled the ball at the backboard with a great amount of strength. Beads of sweat trickled slowly down her neck. It was nearly sunset now; the sky was painted in fiery colors. The ball bounced a few times and stopped at Ryu's feet. He was accompanied by Kuroko.

"Kuroko-kun told me about all your practicing; you okay?" he asked. She faked an assuring smile.

"Of course." She lied, wiping the perspiration off her face.

"You're tired are you?" he inquired. She shook her head, but nearly stumbled when doing so. All of the sudden she felt her limp body being lifted onto Ryu's back, like he always did whenever she was too tired.

"C'mon we're taking you home."

###

Kotone refused to sleep, even though she really wanted to. She rested her cheek against the back of Ryu's head, feeling his wispy navy blue hair. She glanced over at Kuroko who was carrying the basketball she was practicing with.

"K-Kuroko, can I ask you something?" she inquired with a soft voice.

"What is it?"

"It's about Kise and his copying." She said.

"Copying is what Kise-kun is best at. He doesn't mean to mock you; he does it to every player and every strong opponent." He replied. She grinned.

"Ah, I see, then I guess I've got an apology to give." She said.

"Are you still gonna think of a way to beat that Kise?" Ryu asked. She didn't reply, instead she drifted off to sleep.

###

On her way to school she noticed Ryu playing basketball with a few street kids. She remembered back in junior high how he would always play before school would start, and then come to class almost late, smelling of the sweat he was drenched in. She smiled as she recalled the memories.

Ryu seemed to be playing a one on three match but he was faring well. One of his opponents charged at him. Ryu veered quickly on his toes, losing balance from not controlling his speed. With his back facing the board, he tossed it high over his shoulder. It went in. Back in middle school, she remembered watching what Ryu called "Circus Shooting." She grinned as she formed an idea in her mind.

###

At the next match against Kaijo, Kotone's fiery aura settled down a bit. She requested to be benched for the first quarter with Furihata and Koganei. Confused, Riko allowed it anyway. Kotone kept a close eye on Kise's moves. Like Kuroko had told her, he copied only the best and strongest players. At the moment he was copying Kagami's two pointers; the dunks, lay-ups and short jump shots. Even though the moves weren't original, Kise had good control and power.

When the third quarter came around, Kotone decided it was time for her to play. She walked onto the court, feeling a little more confident this time.

"Will you be alright this time?" Kagami asked, bouncing the ball a couple of times. She nodded her head. "You better be; Kuroko will pass it to you a couple of times, so show them what you've got."

Kagami's words fed the flames in her. She grinned, ready. The game started up again. Mitobe passed the ball to Kuroko, who then changed the direction. Kotone caught it and started running, the Kasamatsu running after her and the guarding. She was sprinting fast but he was pressuring her with offense. Riko noticed something odd; Kotone wasn't trying to stay balanced, she was performing extremely tricky footwork. _What is this? Her movement's unpredictable! _Kasamatsu thought. Her short rapid steps became lengthy elegant strides. He tried to keep up. She looked like she was about to fall, but instead spun suddenly around him. With her right hand she tossed it high over her shoulder in mid spin. It swooshed through the net.

Riko's whistle dropped from her mouth when her jaw did. _What kind of shot was that? _She thought. _It was completely unformed. _Kise was dumbstruck as well. He had been keeping an eye on her. The way she moved seemed similar to Aomine's movements, but it was completely off balance. It would be difficult to imitate it, but he tried. When he was being blocked by Mitobe, he did what she did. He moved with short quick steps and then long strides. He spun and through it over his shoulder, but it hit the backboard and missed. Kotone smirked contently. Her plan had worked. When she was learning about circus shooting from Ryu back in middle school, she learned that they were risky shots, but crowd pleasers. Because they were quick uncoordinated shots, they weren't advised, and they couldn't be copied.

Kotone earned possession of the ball. She allowed herself to be guarded by Kise. She played small circles around him, dribbling and passing the ball between the space of his legs. They neared the edge of the border. Her feet squeaked and skidded against the waxy floor. She raised both her arms to make another uncoordinated shot.

"Oh no you don't!" Kise exclaimed seizing the ball. However, when he tried to, he fell forwards and on her. They fell out of the boundaries and the ball rolled out of Kotone's grasp. Their eyes locked in a close gaze, their bodies close to each other's.

"A-are you okay?" he asked uneasily. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink hue. She scowled at him.

"G-get off me!" she shouted.

The players gathered around the two.

"So who was the last one to touch the ball?" Hyuga asked. Kotone was about to answer, but Kise stopped her.

"I did." he lied. "I tried grabbing the ball, but I ended up falling on her and letting go of it, right Kotocchi." he glanced over at Kotone and gave her a smile and wink.

"Right."

###

Seirin won the match ninety to eighty two. They were caught off guard from Kotone's new strategy. She spotted Kise outside of the school grounds.

"Why did you lie for me?" She asked.

"I wanted to make up for pissing you off yesterday." He replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm sorry for punching you yesterday." She lamented. He chuckled.

"Don't worry, it didn't really hurt." He joshed.

"You know I think I know why you piss me off so much." She stated.

(!?) "Didn't I just finish apologizing?"

"You're like my brothers and sisters; while I'm trying and working hard, you've got natural abilities and don't need to work as hard." She clarified.

"I still need to work hard too; I'm not one of those conceited players that are so sure of themselves." Kise protested. Kotone shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, you've got a point." she admitted and then extended her arm out. "So, friends?"

He smiled at her and wrapped his hand around hers. "Friends."


	9. 黒子のバスケ:ラッキーシューター

黒子のバスケ:ラッキーシューター

Kuroko no Basket: Lucky Shooter

_Nothing goes by luck in composition. It allows of no tricks. The best you can write will be the best you are. ~Henry David Thoreau _

The next opponent that they were to face was Shutoku High. But it wouldn't be an easy practice match like it was with Kaijo. It was a preliminary match so it was not something to take lightly. At the first round of the preliminaries, Seirin was up against Ranko High and Seirin won ninety to eighty seven; it was a close match. To Kotone's disappointment, Riko had benched her for the entire game. Midorima and Takao had come to observe the competition and Seirin's progress. They had problems with Shutoku High before, so that was the reason why they kept Kotone from playing; they agreed that she would be their secret weapon.

###

Kagami had filled her in about Midorima Shintaro. At the moment, she was practicing with Kagami on Saturday. A crucial thing for her to learn was that her bag of tricks wouldn't hold up forever. She realized that she couldn't stay on offense with circus shooting and trick shots.

He speeded past her on the court and leapt up high for a dunk. Kotone jumped up to stop him, but she couldn't jump high enough. Her fingers barely caressed the ball in his hands. Kagami slammed it in. She returned to the ground with a thump. He looked at her with disappointed eyes.

"Your jump still isn't high enough." He told. She picked herself off the ground and dusted off her shorts.

"I'm trying." She replied.

"If you're gonna stop Midorima you need to jump higher than you do now. It's barely one foot." He commented. Kotone sat on the floor, rubbing her aching calves. _This isn't good _she thought to herself.

"We'll stop for today; you'll be useless if you're legs get dead." He said, wiping off his sweat with his shirt and picking up his gym bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Let's go get something to eat."

She decided not to protest, she was hungry after all.

###

They ordered food from a nearby fast-food restaurant. Kagami ordered a lot of food. Kotone couldn't help but stare as he took monstrous mouthfuls of the burgers. _What an appetite… _she thought. After they ate they strolled back to the court and began shooting casual throws at the free throw line.

"Makoto, so what's your whole reason for joining basketball?" he asked, throwing the ball up. It swooshed through the net. Kotone picked it up, readied her form and shot it. The ball hit the rim and missed the net.

"I was never good at any sport, I'm not lucky like you or the Generation of Miracles." She said, picking up the ball again. "But now I've decided that I'll beat those guys and show everyone what I can do."

Kagami smiled broadly and rested his hand on her head. "That's the spirit." he praised. She took another shot, this time at the three point zone and missed. It rolled and stopped at the heels of two high school boys walking by.

"Sorry." She apologized, running over to pick up the ball. The two turned around. It was Midorima and Takao. Kagami furrowed his brows.

"Midorima?!" he exclaimed.

"So this is Seirin's 'secret' player?" Midorima said in a disapproving tone.

"Some guys from Kaijo told us about an amazing new player Seirin got; didn't think you'd be this cute." Takao complimented. Kotone blushed a little, but held up her bold façade.

"Quit exaggerating." She told, and then looked at Midorima glaring at her. "You're a gloomy guy aren't you?"

"When's your birthday?" he asked instead. She stared at him, confused.

"December fourth; why?" she replied.

"That explains why we don't like each other already; Cancers and Sagittarius' don't get along. Plus that explains why you got into the Seirin team in the first place." He said. She furrowed her brows.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sagittarius is one of the luckiest signs; fortune seems to favor you, that's the only reason, you got lucky." He clarified. Kotone tried hard to keep her composure.

"That's so stupid; there's no such thing as luck; even if it was, I'm far from lucky."

"We'll just have to see for ourselves."

###

Tonight was the night of the preliminary match. Kotone felt fired up. She couldn't wait to prove Midorima that her skills were worked for, not blessed. At the same time, she felt pretty anxious. Many people filled the bleachers, including Ryu, her siblings, and the other high school teams. She could hear the crowding noise of chatter, the lights focusing on the court, as if it were a stage with a bright spotlight. She was already sweating a bit, but she convinced herself it was only because the gym was keeping in all the heat. Before she set foot on the court, Ryu stopped her.

"Good luck Koto-chan." He hoped.

"I don't need it." she said, walking onto the court. She glared at Midorima as both teams lined up in front of each other to commence. He glared back. The referee threw the ball high into the air, and Kiyoshi, being taller than most, grabbed it first and started dashing towards their goal. Kotone followed the crowd. She looked over her shoulder and saw Takao blocking Kuroko. This startled her a bit; most don't notice Kuroko's there. Luckily, she found herself unguarded while Hyuga was in a tight spot.

"Hyuga-senpai!" she hollered, coming close for him to pass it. Hyuga threw it but something blurred flashed before her so fast that she couldn't react to it. It was Takao. _Him?... since, when?! _He intercepted the two and quickly passed the ball to Midorima. He was barely at the other side of the court when he made his shot. As soon as he shot it, he started walking back to defense. It was thrown in a high arc, as if it would hit the ceiling. With ease it swooshed through the net.

(?!) All Kotone could do was gape with wide eyes. It hadn't been a minute yet and already Shutoku had scored three points. The crowd applauded loudly at the astonishing feat.

"Looks like I was wrong. You're not lucky at all." He said as he walked past her.


	10. ラッキーシューターpt 2

黒子のバスケ:ラッキーシューターpt. 2

Kuroko no Basket: Lucky Shooter pt. 2

"_Risk means 'shit happens' or 'good luck" ― Toba Beta_

A few minutes flew by in the game and the score was eighteen to eleven. Shutoku definitely got better. Takao was Kuroko's problem and was soon becoming Kotone's as well. She was unable to grab anyone's passes, and wasn't able to rely on Kuroko for help like she usually did. Riko had advised her to keep her circus shots as a trump card so Kagami and Kiyoshi were being relied on the most. A time out was called in the middle of the first quarter.

"Kuroko, why is Takao able to see and block you?" she asked, taking a gulp of water.

"He has an ability called Hawk Eye." He replied, wiping off his sweat with his forearm.

"You mean like Izuki-senpai's Eagle eye?" she inquired. Kuroko nodded. The break was over and the quarter resumed. _If he's focused on Kuroko, then I can probably catch him when he's off guard with a back tip. _Kotone strategized in her head. She took a breath in. Hyuga had lost possession of the ball and it was passed to Takao, who was still blocking Kuroko. His back was facing her. She seized her chance and dashed for it. As if he knew she was approaching, he quickly passed it to Midorima.

(?!)

"You really thought you could sneak up on me?" she heard him respond. "I've got full view of this court." Midorima leapt up for another three pointer, but Kagami leapt up higher and blocked the shot. However, that high jump had its consequences. He could feel the strain on his calves already. _Dammit, I have to keep up! _He told himself.

Riko kept an eye on the players. Kagami was strong and the jumps were higher than ever, but he could only perform those jumps a few times. He only could do it four more times now. Kotone wasn't dealing with that much physical strain but her heartbeat was abnormal. It would thump way to fast, or slow down suddenly. Riko couldn't diagnose her, but she knew that she was in no condition to shoot yet.

Kagami had the ball now and ran to the net. Kotone and the others followed to help. He slammed it in, making the score eighteen to thirteen now. The crowds in the bleachers cheered stridently. Kaijo was one of the teams seated and watching them play.

"They're catching up." Kasamatsu commented.

"Yeah but, Kotocchi seems to be doing much worse than she was before." Kise noted. Ryu could see this as well, and he was observing more intently than before. Miyaji started dribbling and sprinting on the court. Despite Riko's warning and advising, Kotone broke out of her defensive position and charged after Miyaji. She thought she would have an advantage with speed, but she was disproven, as she had a difficult time keeping up with the upperclassman. She executed her risky street ball footwork and spun around him, stealing the ball in mid bounce, making sure he didn't notice until it was too late. The ball was hers now and all focus was directed on her. She stole a quick glance over her shoulder and saw that everyone was blocked. Relying on them wasn't an option.

"Go for it Makoto!" Kiyoshi encouraged. Her opponents had caught up with ease and had filled all the positions of the offensive zone. One of the players came at her trying to steal away the ball. She jumped and twisted her body in midair, her back facing the net, and threw in the ball. It swooshed in. It was a desperate shot with a low chance of going in, but it worked. The score was close now eighteen to seventeen. She panted.

"I guess I underestimated you." She heard Midorima say. She turned around. "But your luck's gonna run out soon."


	11. チャンスを危険にさらして

黒子のバスケ:チャンスを危険にさらして

Kuroko no Basket: Risking a Chance

_If you're not willing to risk it all, then you don't want it bad enough._

The last quarter commenced and the intensity of it all could be felt. Unlike the others, Kagami's and Kuroko's spirits were not hampered. Their coordination was flawless. Kuroko was finally escaping out of Takao's sight and was passing as he normally did. Kagami was still going on strong, sprinting and dunking, catching up very quickly. Kuroko intercepted Miyaji's pass to Takao and directed it in Kagami's direction. Even though Takao had lost sight of Kuroko, he spotted Kagami and diverted the pass to Midorima.

(?!)

Kotone charged past Kimura, who was blocking her, at a fast speed. She caught up with Midorima and tailed after him, and so did the others. He saw her and started moving faster.

"Makoto steal it!" Hyuga yelled. She did as she was told and tried to snatch it out of his possession. He maneuvered around her, making sure she wouldn't be able to get it. Kotone stole a quick glance at the floor. They crossed the other half of the court and into the beginning of the three point zone. She looked up and saw Midorima readying his shot. There was only one minute left and counting and Seirin was only two points away from winning. She couldn't block him; she was way too short to stop him normally. She looked down at the calves of her legs. But she knew she couldn't just allow him. _Please just let me… _

Instinctively she sprang up, her arms high and vertical in the air. Midorima's eyes grew wide in shock. _How? _He wondered. Kotone didn't notice until she was high above him. Out of sheer will, and probably even luck, her jump had advanced into a less-than-a foot jump, to an almost four foot vertical leap. She was surprised herself, but then she quickly washed it away with a stern expression and struck the ball with her hands. The audience cheered wildly at the awe inspiring stunt. Her teammates applauded her as well.

"She did it!" exclaimed Kise.

"Yeah, but, if Kagami can have a limit, so can she." Kasamatsu noted.

Kotone's feet returned to the ground at a rapid pace. When she did, she felt a surging pain, starting from her ankles and affecting her calves and thighs. She collapsed onto the ground immediately, a muffled cry of pain escaping her lips, loud enough for the people on the court to hear.

"Makoto!" Ryu called out, running out of his seat and hurrying out of the bleachers and to the court. The referee blew the whistle and called for an emergency time out. Ryu, Riko, and her teammates rushed to her aid. _Itai… (ouch) _she whimpered in her mind. She really over did it this time. The muscles in her calves and thighs cramped and ached. She had landed with too much pressure and it stressed under her ankles. Her legs felt numb, but she could feel the stinging needle like pain tightening around her. She felt like crying, but she held them back, tightening her throat.

Ryu made it on the court and lifted her in his arms.

"Kotone are you alright?" he asked in a very concerned voice. "Can you stand?"

She gripped his shirt tightly with her fingers just to support herself. She swallowed the knot in her throat.

"It hurts… it hurts a lot." She managed to say in a hoarse voice without letting her tears flow down her face. Riko came with a heat pad in hand.

"Settle her down Toshiyuki; here this should help." She instructed. Ryu gently helped her sit down and Riko settled the heating pad on her leg. She analyzed her numbers. _This isn't good, her numbers were low enough already, but now her leg potency has been reduced to nearly nothing now. _She thought.

"We need to switch you out now." She said.

"It doesn't hurt!" she protested. Ryu sighed.

"Listen to her please Koto-chan." He pleaded his voice soft.

"I'll be fine, I won't jump just let me stay in." she begged. "Please." She begged her voice lowered and pitiful.

"If she wants to stay in let her." Kagami spoke up.

"I agree." Kuroko supported. Ryu turned to Kotone.

"Is that really what you want?" he asked. She nodded her head without hesitation. He sighed.

"Stay in then; I'll be rooting for you." He comforted with a smile, tucking a stray lock of her dark brown hair behind her ear.

###

Everyone prepared themselves for the deciding fourth quarter. The feeling on the court was extremely intense. Midorima glanced over at Kotone, who was staying completely still, waiting for the referee to resume the game. He was confused; if she was hurt that badly, why did she want to stay in, he wondered. Kotone looked down at the floor. _It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt! _She reinforced in her mind. Her teammates kept a keen eye on her, just in case anything would go wrong. The ball was released onto the court and they charged after it.

Miyaji had possession on it at first, until it was knocked away by Hyuga and sent off onto the court again. Before any of the Shutoku teams could get their hands on the ball, Kuroko got in between them. He spotted Kotone on the other side of the court. He spun around at least twice and hurled it towards her, zooming right past Midorima and the other players. She caught in her hand and exerted as much energy just to run at a decent speed. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Midorima catching up behind her. He extended an arm and attempted to steal it. She quickly veered away, dealing more damage to her legs. She stopped and swiftly released the ball, fast enough that he couldn't react to it. Her heart began to ease until she noticed she was in a bad zone to shoot and in the wrong form. _Worthless shit! _She cursed as her knees collapsed on the ground, finally unable to withstand the pain. She looked up. The ball hit the rim and slowly circled it tortuously. Out of nowhere, Kagami sprang up and slammed it in, just in the nick of time. The last few seconds ticked away and the loud buzz rang out. The crowd roared up in a loud applause for Seirin's victory. The winning team burst out in happiness as well. Kotone panted relentlessly, drenched in sweat, muscles aching, but she was wearing a smile. She was happy.

"C'mon, get up; we have to line up now." Kagami said, helping her up by the hand. She grinned up at him.

The two teams lined up in the center of the court, facing each other. The referee announced the scores and claimed Seirin as the winner, and then instructed a bow. Both teams did as ordered.

"Thank you very much!" They acknowledged as they bowed. Kotone began staggering back and then glimpsed over at Midorima. He looked jaded, disappointed, and even a little sad, but he hid it behind a scowl. She couldn't help but feel bad.


	12. 僕の決議

黒子のバスケ:僕の決議

Kuroko no Basket: My Resolve

_Being nice to someone you hate isn't called being two-faced. It's called growing up._

Everyone packed up their things lazily into their gym bags, changed out of their sweat covered uniforms and into their comfortable clothes, and prepared to head out. Riko had given rubbed Kotone's calves in muscle cream so she could be distracted from the pain and then a few heating pads to strap onto her thighs, that way she could move around without injuring herself any further. The team headed outside, the night sky was dark with a few thick clouds; it looked like it was going to rain soon. The streets were illuminated by the city lights and street lamps. The air was crisp and cool, very relieving from the stuffy humid enclosed gym.

"Well we'll see you guys tomorrow." Hyuga said. Kagami yawned and then stretched.

"I'm beat. Later." He said walking off. Everyone dispersed and went home. Kotone looked around, as if she was searching for someone. Then she felt someone tap her shoulder; she turned at it was Ryu.

"You did great out there." He complimented.

"Well, we couldn't have one if Kagami hadn't dunked in the ball." She said humbly.

"Are you okay enough to walk home or do you want me carry you home again?" he asked in an amiable tone. She grinned.

"I'm fine; Coach took care of me already so most of the pain's gone. You go ahead, I'm just gonna go look for someone." She replied, strolling away.

###

By the time she walked to the other side of the school it had already began to drizzle. A cool sprinkle of water fell around her when she heard what sounded like big wheel rattling against wood. She turned around and saw it was Takao.

"Hey Makoto-san." He greeted.

"What're you doing with a rickshaw?" she inquired.

"Eh, it's not really important; are you okay?" he asked, taking notice of the heating pads covering most of her legs.

"Don't worry about it." she assured. "Where's Midorima?" she asked. "Shouldn't he be with you?"

"Midorima's usually like that; loses one match and he can't get over it for a while." Takao joshed.

"How about you?" she asked.

"Huh? Well, to be honest I'm not into the whole idea of crushing a person's spirit to play. Besides even if we do lose, doesn't mean I should hold a grudge about it." He explained. Kotone stood silent for a moment and contemplated his words.

"If you want I can give you a ride home; I don't mind pedaling; besides we did play pretty rough on a new player." He offered.

"Can you bring me to Midorima; I wanna talk to him." She requested instead. He gawked at her, but then shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright then, hop on." He said, holding onto the handlebars as he began peddling. Kotone sat down in the wooden passenger wagon of the rickshaw.

###

Takao said that Midorima decided to blow off steam by practicing his free throws at a basketball court in a nearby park. The pavement began rising a bit as they started going up hills. Takao began griping and groaning as he pedaled harder up the cement mounds, in a rather exaggerated and somewhat comical way.

"Are you alright?" she inquired.

"Just fine!" he replied with another grunt.

"If you want we can just walk the rest." She suggested. He shook his head.

"It's okay! It's only fair." He assured, panting even harder. She rolled her eyes at him. Then she spotted Midorima tossing up a basketball into the basket.

"Takao stop!" she ordered, grabbing him suddenly by the collar of his jacket, nearly choking him. When she let go his face slammed into the handle bars.

"Ouch! That hurt!" he griped.

"Hurry up!" she called. He heaved a sigh and followed. Midorima instantly stopped shooting when he saw the two. He frowned and when Takao finally caught up he snatched him by his collar.

"Takao, why did you bring her here?" he questioned, shaking him a bit.

"Oh, come on! I pedaled over hills for almost half an hour, isn't that a punishment enough for me?!" he whined.

"Leave him alone will you, I asked him to bring me." she interrupted.

"So what do you want?" he asked.

"Um, I'm gonna leave you guys to talk in private." Takao said uneasily, returning to the rickshaw. Midorima looked her over, and noticed the thick heating pads.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his voice soft and almost concerned.

"I'm alright; don't worry." She assured.

"Who said I was worried?" he retorted.

"Look I know it's awful to lose, but I don't like the feeling of someone holding a grudge against me." she said as she reached out her hand. "I'm willing to meet you half way."

He refused to shake her hand. He gave no other reply than then silence. She heaved a distressed sigh and took the basketball he was practicing with.

"Tell you what, if I make this shot you have to stop being so negative." She betted.

"Go ahead." He replied simply. Kotone turned around, her back facing the net and threw it high up into the air in a high small arc.

"What a lousy shot." Midorima said under his breath. The ball returned from its high ascent, hit the wall of a building, jumped into the air again, but in a smaller height and went in the net.

"How did you…" his words trailed off. She smiled.

"It was the first trick shot that my friend Ryu taught me." she explained. He gave a distraught outbreath.

"Well I'm a person of my word, but that doesn't cover up anything." He protested. She smirked.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." She said. "Bye, bye, Midorima-kun."


	13. 兄ちゃんは心配して

**Hi my fellow readers! The last few chapters have been pretty serious, so I decided to treat you all to something more sweet and comical. Enjoy!**

* * *

黒子のバスケ: 兄ちゃんは心配して

Kuroko no Basket: Big Brother is Worried

_A true friend cares like a mom, scolds like a dad, teases like a sister, irritates like a brother and loves more than a lover._

The overwork from the preliminary match with Shutoku, and the cold rain from the other day had caused Kotone to stay in with a high fever. It was after school and Ryu had hurried to the gym to inform the Seirin Team that Kotone would be unable to attend the next few conditionings and practices.

"I guess it can't be helped." said Riko. "Tell her we wish her a fast recovery in time for the next match."

Ryu nodded. "Don't worry I will. But um, there's one thing I need to ask to Kagami-kun and Kuroko-kun."

"Huh, what is it?" Kagami asked.

"If it's alright with your coach, do you guys mind leaving early and dropping off Koto-chan's homework; I don't want her grades to slip. I have to run by the store and pick up some stuff for her." he said.

"Sure we don't mind." Kuroko replied. Ryu beamed a wide radiant smile.

"Thank you so much you two!" he thanked, and then started searching through his book bag at great speed. "Okay, so make sure she stays in bed and gets some rest, put a damp washcloth on her head if she gets too warm, and ask her once in a while if she's hungry." He instructed as he continued fumbling around in his bag.

"You sound like a good friend." Riko commented.

"More like a smothering big brother." Koganei pointed out.

"Well he fills out the older brother role perfectly." Hyuga said. They all ogled at him as he handed Kagami a bunch of items; textbooks and assignments that were Kotone's homework.

"Oh and you'll need this." He said; it was a little brass key hanging on a small silver ring. "It's a spare key to the house, I'm pretty sure she's in no condition to go and open the door."

(?!) they all gawked, mouths agape. _He owns an extra key to her house?! Isn't that a little overboard for a guy who's just a friend?! _They all thought in shock.

"Oh and Kotone's room is the first door down the hallway on your right." He stated nonchalantly. Their jaws dropped even more.

"W-wait, how in the world did you memorized where Makoto's bedroom is?!" exclaimed Kagami. Ryu grinned and waved it off.

"Oh that? I've been to Koto-chan's house a bunch of times; don't start acting so skeptical." He replied. Everyone still had question marks on their faces.

"To be honest it really sounds like you crossed the 'best friends zone' in the worst way possible." Izuki said under his breath.

###

The sky was dark gray and it slowly began to drizzle moderately. Kagami gave Kuroko his black gakuran to shield his head from the upcoming rain, while he covered his head with the textbook in his hand.

"Ugh, I can't believe we have to go babysit her." he griped.

"You're uncaring Kagami-kun." Kuroko said with little emotion.

###

They arrived shortly at the house, and opened the front door with the key Ryu had loaned them. The living room and kitchen were empty so they figured Kotone was in her bedroom. They remembered Ryu's directions and opened the first door on the right. Her room was rather small and girly, not what they had expected. A bookcase was set to the side and filled with light novels, manga of romance genre, and drama CDs and DVDS. The floor was wooden with a pink carpet in the center. The walls were painted yellow green and there were stuffed toys everywhere. They varied from many brands; Sanrio Collections, Rilakkuma, Tare Panda, and Kapibara-san. Kagami took a step forward and felt his foot hit a romance novel lying on the floor.

"Such an odd taste." He mumbled. Meanwhile, Kuroko bent down and stared at Kotone's sleeping, rosy flushed face. He rested a hand on her forehead; it burned to the touch. She began to stir awake, taking notice of the feeling of someone's hand. Her eyes fluttered slowly open and she woke to two big bright blue eyes staring down on her. She was instantly startled; she screamed and jabbed Kuroko in the face.

"Huh; you two; what the hell are guys doing here?!" she demanded to know. Kuroko picked himself off the floor and showed her the papers in his hands.

"Toshiyuki-senpai wanted us to bring the homework and notes you missed. He couldn't because he's at the store getting stuff for you" He replied. She sighed.

"Thanks for going through this trouble guys; I wished he didn't fawn over me so much."

"Huh? But I thought you said you don't mind when he does that?" Kagami inquired.

"Yeah, but he over does it sometimes." She explained.

"But Toshiyuki-senpai does it because he genuinely cares about you." Kuroko interjected in an unemotional tone. Kotone blushed a bit. "He only cares too much because he likes to know you're okay."

She smiled, her cheeks still blushing pink. "Yeah I guess so." She responded softly.

###

Kagami and Kuroko left shortly and Ryu had come to her house a few minutes later. It was still pouring buckets worth of rain. He came with an armful of bags, including the medicine he promised. He quickly ripped it out of the box and poured the red syrup on a table spoon.

"Say 'ah!' Koto-chan." He requested with a smile. She pouted, but then complied and enclosed her mouth around the spoon and swallowing.

"So are you feeling a little better?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Well I gotta go now, but if there's anything you need just call and I'll be here in a heartbeat."

She wanted to say something like 'don't worry' or 'I can take care of myself, just go' but she didn't, instead she gave a simple okay. He grinned and started walking out the door.

"Ryu, wait." She halted. He stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for looking out for me, Nii-chan." She acknowledged with a smile. He suddenly felt himself overwhelmed with content. He wanted to overreact and hug her tightly, but he just grinned and left as soon as he felt blush color his face.


	14. 自分の限界を学習

黒子のバスケ:自分の限界を学習

Kuroko no Basket: Learning My Limits

"_The heart knows the immensity it wants to achieve, but it is limited." _

― _Nadia Scrieva_

The next day, Kotone was still in the process of recovering. She woke up to the pitter pattering sound of raindrops hitting her window. Her eyes slowly opened; her head ached still, but less severe than before, nevertheless she felt groggy and cold. She looked out and saw her water streaked window; another rainy and dark clouded day. She forced herself to get up, take a hot shower and dress up. After, she staggered to the kitchen table where her big family was sitting and eating breakfast.

"Koto-chan, you're going to school today?" her mom asked in a concerned voice. "You still look really sick."

"I'm fine." She assured, plopping down to her seat and grabbing some rice and scrambled eggs.

"Well then just make sure you eat enough." Her dad instructed. "And if you don't feel well later on, have Toshiyuki-san bring you home early."

###

She felt fortunate to have survived the whole class day. Her head ached all through her classes, but she miraculously managed to keep herself awake. All that was left to survive was practice and if she didn't pass out then, then Riko's drills would surely get her. She arrived at the gym before anyone else and hurried to change in her gym clothes. She tottered a bit as she returned to the gym. The squeaks of sneakers rubbing against the waxy floor were enough to make her head spin. The others were surprised to see her when they entered.

"Huh?! Makoto-kun?!" they all uttered, speechless.

"Makoto-kun, you're numbers are still really low; you shouldn't have even come to school today." Riko said. Kotone shook her head, nearly falling over.

"I'm alright I feel much better." She lied, picking up a basketball. "Now c'mon, we should start—"she began, taking a few steps and dropping the ball from her shaking hands. The ball rolled and stopped at Kiyoshi's feet.

"You need to go home and rest." He advised in an unusual austere tone.

"I don't need to." She protested, nearly falling over again, that is until her head leaned up against Kiyoshi's chest.

"You're tottering a bit Makoto-kun." He said. She frowned and swatted his hand away.

"I'm okay! Just take my word for it." she said adamantly.

"Don't be stubborn or will have to bench you for the entire game." He warned. He felt like he was talking to a persistent child.

"I need to practice; I want to be stronger." She protested. Kiyoshi's glare became even more serious.

"If you don't give your body a break, that strength you'll gain will vanish as soon as you use it." he reasoned. She kept her mouth shut at his tone of voice; her eyes became wide like a deer caught in the light of bright headlights. Her fists closed together tightly.

"That type of strength; is that the kind of strength you really want?" he asked her. She said nothing and changed out of her gym clothes then left.

###

She stood outside the school's gates. She was scatterbrained enough to misplace her needed umbrella, which left her standing outside in the pouring rain with only her hood for protection. Kotone looked up at the dark gray sky that cried heavy drops on her face. Kiyoshi's words didn't make sense to her. It took her all of her energy just to keep up with her teammates, but she still wasn't near to being equal with them. She wanted whatever strength she could get her hands on because she had none. Even if that strength was a fleeting one, she still wanted it. She suddenly saw red transparent plastic over her, shielding her from the downpour. She turned around and saw it was Ryu holding an umbrella and smiling at her.

"So what're you doing out here?" he asked.

"I just needed to clear my head." She responded in a dismal tone. Ryu took off his gakuran and draped it around her shoulders.

"Here take this, you look cold." He said. She snatched it out of his hands and threw it back to him.

"I'm warm enough I don't need you to baby me." she responded coldly.

"You know, I don't know why you have to act tough in front of me and other people, it's a load of crap." He berated in a tone he never used on her. Her shoulders tensed; startled from his voice, but then she shot an icy glower at him.

"Who said it's an act? Everyone treats me like the weak girl I was back in junior high; you expect me not to be mad?" she argued. He glowered back at her.

"What's wrong about people caring about you? What's wrong with me caring about you?!" he raised his voice. She felt hot tears of fury starting to form, she turned around and was about to run, until she felt him catch her by the wrist.

"Let me go!" she ordered.

"You don't need to act so strong for me." he said. She couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking she swung her arm, her hand clenched tightly into a fist and struck him in the jaw. He staggered back and fell in one of the few shallow puddles of rain. The umbrella dropped to the ground.

"I'm not doing it for you." She denied. He sat on the floor, his hand pressed close to his mouth, his head down. She couldn't tell if it was the rain or if he was really crying. She gawked at him. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she questioned. His hand was finally released from his mouth and she saw a narrow streak of red flowing from the side of his mouth and dripping to his hand. She looked at her knuckles; there was some blood there too. Her eyes widened in horror as he got up. He picked the umbrella up and placed it in her hand.

"Here you keep this. Please get better soon." He said simply, and then walking off. She stood there, frozen and bewildered.


	15. ケアへた理由

黒子のバスケ:ケアへた理由

Kuroko no Basket: A Reason to Care

_Care too little, you'll lose them. Care too much, you'll get hurt._

Kotone stood underneath the umbrella that he had given her, completely silent. All that was heard was the sound of falling rain and her breathing. She felt and wanted to be mad at him, but instead all she felt was guilt eating at her. She held much respect for Ryu; not because she was a kohai and he was a senpai, but because he had always been there when she needed him. But he was there when she didn't need him as well. She began pondering, wondering if she had taken all of Ryu's concern for granted. He was the one who taught her to play basketball in the first place.

She began remembering how they first met. She watched him practice every day afterschool, but he didn't notice her until one day his friends were late, and he began talking to her. He asked her if she wanted to play and she declined because she didn't know how. Ryu persisted that he didn't mind teaching her. She was lousy at many other sports, so she hoped that she would have some miraculous hidden talent for basketball, but she didn't. She kept working hard soley to impress Ryu.

She realized that she had lost her real reason for playing basketball. She became exactly the type of person Ryu and she didn't want to be.

###

Ryu toweled off his rain damped hair and changed out of his drenched uniform and into a sweatshirt and a pair of sweat pants. He laid on the hard floor in the center of the living room when he heard the doorbell. He looked up at the clock. It was only five; his parents wouldn't be home until nine. He hurried to the door and found Kotone standing on the doorstep, her head down and the umbrella in her hands. He stood there, speechless. She finally mustered courage to look up at him.

"Uh, Ryu, can you please invite me in, it's pretty cold out here." She requested. He snapped out of it.

"Oh, yeah of course; come in." he responded. She slipped off her shoes, strolled inside and relieved herself of her heavy white coat and took a seat on the couch.

"I wanted to return this to you." She said softly, handing him the dripping umbrella. He took it and placed it in the corner of the room.

"Do you want some tea?" he asked uneasily. She nodded her head, and tried to think of some apology. "Here" He said, handing her the hot cup. She blew away the steam.

"Before you drink can you please take this?" he requested, holding a thermometer. She put the tip of the thermometer in her mouth and after a few seconds it began beeping. He took it from her and looked at her temperature; 99.6 degrees.

"Well your temperature lowered a bit; I'm glade." He said, taking a seat on a chair facing her.

"I'm sorry." She uttered quickly and nervously, her cheeks burning red.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry." She repeated, trying to keep her voice steady. She heard no reply. She then felt his arm drape around her shoulders as he sat beside her, a video camera in hand.

"I want you to see something." He said.

"What is it?" she asked. He pressed a few buttons and a video started playing.

"A friend recorded one of my games for me. I want to show you one of the scary players I told you about." He said. It was an old video of a basketball match; Ryuko vs. Teiko. He pointed to one of the Teiko players; a fairly tall, dark skinned boy. He said that his name was Aomine Daiki. She was surprised; his movements were swift and incredible; his strength surpassing even Kagami's.

"That guy had all of us running; we we're good, but nowhere near as good as the Generation of Miracles." He said. "They tripled our score at that game; it's pretty unbelievable right?"

"Yeah." She replied simply.

"That's why I got worried when you started playing basketball; you'd face against menacing opponents and you'd hate the game later on."

"Is that why you stopped playing basketball?" she inquired.

"Just professional stuff." He responded. She wrapped both of her hands around one of his.

"I'll do my best." She said confidently, looking up at him with glimmering brown eyes.

"Just make sure you rest." He reminded. She formed a meager smile and rested her head on the crook of his neck, her eyes fluttering slowly and cheeks still pink.

"I will." She promised. He smiled and rested his cheek on her head as he and Kotone drifted to sleep on the couch together.


	16. 僕が怖い

黒子のバスケ: 僕が怖い

Kuroko no Basket: I am Afraid

_Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather _

She took their advice and rested at home for a couple of days. She recovered fully. She showed up to the gym and Riko examined her carefully before allowing her to play. Her numbers didn't improve but they were back to normal. Practice began as it normally did; working on shooting, passing and footwork. Everything was back to normal, until they heard the gym doors open and a girl with long pink hair skipped in.

"Tetsu-kun!" she greeted with glee, hurrying to Kuroko and jumping into his arms for a tight embrace.

"You're hugging me too tightly, Momoi-san." He said. Riko stormed over, annoyed.

"Oi, you can't just barge in here and disrupt our practice!" she scolded. Momoi stopped for a moment and smirked at her.

"Well if it isn't the Barely B cup Coach Aida-san." She retorted. Riko's face burned bright red with frustration and embarrassment.

"Shut up!" she screamed.

"So why did you come here Momoi-san?" Kuroko asked.

"Well of course the main reason was to see you again Tetsu-kun." She replied, hugging him more. "But the other reason was to check out your new player." She said, eyeing at Kotone.

"It's so nice to meet you; Seirin's Circus and Trick Shooter, Makoto Kotone-san." She greeted warmly.

"How do you know my name?" she asked. Momoi opened up her book bag, pulled out a basketball magazine and flipped through the glossy pages. To her surprise, Kotone found a photo of her playing basketball in the center of an article.

"You're really popular Makoto-san." She said in a somewhat joshing voice. She leaned in and scanned the text.

"I never saw this before." she said, ignoring Momoi's comment. She suddenly closed up the magazine and tucked it away.

"Oh how silly of me I forgot the other reason I came here." Momoi stated.

"What is it?"

"Since we'll be facing each other soon, I wanted to ask if you guys would like to come over for a practice match tomorrow."

"You got it!" Riko hastened to say loudly.

###

The next day the Seirin Team arrived at the Tōō Academy's gym. Their opponents were already waiting for them, changed into their basketball uniforms. Like before, Momoi rushed to give Kuroko a tight hug.

"Momoi-san please control yourself." said Imayoshi.

"Oi, where's Aomine-kun?" she asked. "Don't tell me he didn't wanna show up."

"He's dozing off over there." Wakamatsu pointed out. Aomine was lying on the floor, supposedly sleeping and a magazine was on his face. Momoi pouted.

"Oi, Aomine-kun; wake up! The Seirin team is already here for the practice match." She pestered. He grumbled and turned on his side.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." He muttered in a drowsy slur as he got up. Kotone felt a cold sensation shiver up her spine as she watched his movements keenly. She remembered how Ryu described him. He was right. Aomine was a towering figure compared to her, though he didn't have the personality of what she expected. She expected him to be kind of like Kagami. Aomine took the magazine off him, settled it gently on the floor and shot a glare at the team.

"Eh, it's you guys." He said. He then spotted Kotone frozen still and staring at him with frighten eyes.

"Oi, you're Makoto Kotone right?" he asked. She shivered a bit when he called her name.

"Y-yeah." She replied uneasily.

"Play me; one-on-one. I wanna see if all that stuff they say about you is true." He said with a broad grin, his tone confident. She shrunk back and kept her mouth shut. He furrowed his brows a bit, annoyed at her demureness.

"Oh yeah I forgot to tell you my name, I'm—"she interrupted him.

"Aomine Daiki-san, I've heard of you." She uttered, her voice feigning strength.

"Are you gonna play me or what?" he asked. Kotone kept her head down and didn't reply. Aomine scratched the back of his head, irritated by her, and then started to chuckle.

"I'm kinda disappointed; when I heard about this great player I didn't expect her to be such a cowardly wallflower. I was hoping that this Makoto person would relieve me from boredom, but I guess I was wrong." He affronted, strolling away. Anger supported her courage. She grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him. He turned around and looked down on her.

"What is it?" he asked. She paused for a moment and forced the words stuck in her throat.

"Play me." she said with more confidence this time, enough to look straight at his eyes. He smirked broadly.

"Good."

###

Everyone stayed seated on the bench. The only people on the court was Kotone and Aomine. Kagami and the others attempted to persuade her from facing him, but she refused. She wasn't going to let him talk down on her and get away with it. The two players faced each other on the court. He sneered at her.

"Don't worry I'll go easy on you for a bit." He assured.

"You won't need to." She retorted. The referee threw the ball high into the air. Aomine didn't bother to get it; he allowed Kotone to get it. She was annoyed by that. She began sprinting down the court, dribbling the ball as she did. Aomine was just as fast, if not faster. Out of nowhere he began trying to seize the ball. Kotone began fumbling. His movements were tricky and unconventional, just like hers but quicker. She couldn't out maneuver him with her own street ball tactics like she had with Kise and Midorima. He had her running away. Her teammates grew confused as they watched.

"What's going on? Makoto-kun isn't the type to make mistakes like that." said Izuki.

"I don't know; I didn't expect her to be better than him, but she's gotten worse somehow." Hyuga commented.

"She's afraid." Kuroko interjected. They gawked at him, puzzled.

When Kotone finally managed to distance herself away, he charged at her, seizing the ball from her palms. She fell backwards and skidded on the waxy floor.

'?!' everything happened so fast, too fast that she couldn't react to it. Her mind went blank. All she could recall was the feeling of falling down on the ground. She lifted her face off the ground. _What the hell happened? _She questioned.

"Oi." She heard Aomine call. She snapped back to reality and stared up at him towering over her wearing a wide grin.

"You're not as bad as I thought you were." He chuckled. "Just kidding; did you really beat Midorima and Kise? They're skills must've gotten rusty."

She couldn't reply and she didn't even feel angry. She was overwhelmed with fright.

"Makoto-kun are you alight?" she heard Riko asked.

"You didn't have to hit the poor girl that hard Aomine." Imayoshi said in a mocking voice.

"I didn't; it's not my fault she's clumsy." He taunted. Her frustration returned.

"Just ignore him Makoto-kun." Riko advised, picking her up from the floor.


	17. それ恐れても大丈夫です

黒子のバスケ: それ恐れても大丈夫です?

Kuroko no Basket: Is it Okay to be Afraid?

"_Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."_

Everyone decided to leave early. The team cancelled the practice match they were supposed to have. Kotone began strolling down the pavement and towards her home. It was almost six thirty and the sun was beginning to settle down. She couldn't believe how she humiliated herself. How could she be rendered so useless? She couldn't be afraid of him; she forced herself to believe that. Out of nowhere she heard little barking sounds. She turned around and saw the little blue eyed Nigou wagging his tail. She formed a meager smile, bent down and scratched him behind his ears.

"I'm sorry Nigou. I don't feel like playing." She lamented. The small pup whimpered and his eyes glimmered sadness. "Don't be sad, it isn't your fault." She said with a consoling stroke on the neck. The pup perked up a bit from her comforting.

"Makoto-kun." She suddenly heard Kuroko's voice say. She turned around and saw his usual deadpan expression he wore on his face.

"Oh it's you." She said, picking up Nigou from the ground.

"Are you okay?" he asked with not much concern as she handed him the puppy. She furrowed her brows.

"Why wouldn't I?" she retorted. "I didn't fall that hard."

"Were you afraid?" he questioned. The words sent a cold chill down her spine. She gaped at him, wide eyed, not knowing how to reply. "It's okay." He approved, his words snapping her back to reality. She scowled at him.

"I'm not scared to play him." She lied uneasily. He shot a glare at her; it was obvious she was lying. He changed subjects immediately, choosing not to question her any further.

"Where's Toshiyuki-senpai?" he asked.

"He got my sickness from hanging around me too much; so he's at home." She replied._ I wish he was here now _she wanted in her head.

"Bye Makoto-kun." He bid farewell. She forced a small grin.

"Later, Nigou, Kuroko." She said with a wave.

###

She plodded home, returning to her family consisting of siblings, who had all returned from their practices. Her twin brothers were acting up again, and her sister Okamine asked her if she was alright. She ignored her question, and her sister, Yukata's advice to eat. She went straight to her room, locked the door and switched off the lights. Her small bedroom was completely dark except for the fading sun beams that sneaked past her curtains, illuminating the room a bit. She flung herself on her bed and lazily crawled under the comforter, not bothering to change from her sportswear. Before drifting to sleep she reached for her cellphone and hesitatingly dialed Ryu's number. The phone rang and soon she hear his hoarse voice.

"Hey Koto-chan." He greeted happily, even though he sounded ill.

"Hi Nii-chan; I'm sorry for calling you when you're really sick, and I'm sorry that I got you sick." She apologized, chuckling at the end of her sentence. He chuckled softly too.

"It's alright, but are you okay my dear imouto?" he inquired. She kept silent. It sounded like he smiled. "I thought so; you only call me Nii-chan when you're sad or upset. So what's wrong; did something happen at your practice match?"

"We faced the Tōō Academy today." She began her voice soft.

"And?"

"And I was scared." She confessed, her voice becoming even softer and unsteady until it was hardly audible.

"Why, what happened?" he asked, his tone concerning.

"Aomine Daiki is on that team, and he immediately asked to play him one-on-one." She completed. Kotone could almost hear his gasp of fright. She heard nothing else. She continued nervously.

"Nii-chan." She uttered. He seemed to snap out of it.

"Yeah?"

"Kuroko asked me if I was scared and I said no, but I felt really scared when I played him; my mind went completely blank. "She confessed. "He kept charging at me really fast and I fell. Kuroko also said it was okay. But, is it?" she sought out his approval of her feelings, it was obvious. He heaved a deep sigh.

"Koto-chan, you should know by now that nothing will ever change how I feel about you. No, I don't think you're a coward if that's what you're asking." He responded in an austere tone. She let out a relieved and silent outbreath.

"Thank you Nii-chan; please get better soon."

"Tell you what; I'm feeling much better so tomorrow I'll pick you up early and we'll play some basketball together before school." He offered.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it imouto; just hearing you right now is making me feel a whole lot better." He assured happily. She her face flustered a hue of light pink. Usually, she would have told him to shut up or call him stupid, but she was still too depressed to insult him. Instead she smiled a bit.

"Well, good night Nii-chan, I'll see you in the morning I guess." She said.

"Good night Koto-chan." He said. She hung up the phone and rested her head on her pillow. She slept a little better.


	18. 僕できません恐れを克服

黒子のバスケ: 僕できません恐れを克服

Kuroko no Basket: I Can't Face My Fears

"_Behind every flinch is a fear or an anxiety - sometimes rational, sometimes not. Without the fear, there is no flinch. But wiping out the fear isn't what's important - facing it is." ― Julien Smith, The Flinch_

Like he had promised, Ryu arrived at Kotone's house about an hour earlier so they would have time to play some basketball. She still felt dejected about her performance from yesterday, but she hoped that practicing with Ryu would help her self-esteem boost up. They hurried to the basketball court near their school. Ryu removed his gakuran, rolled up the sleeves of his white collared shirt, and began dribbling the ball. Their little practice match continued for a few minutes. They weren't keeping score but Ryu kept playfully teasing her about how he was making more shots. She shut him up by grabbing the ball, knocking him over and making a jump shot. It swished through the net.

"Oi, what was that for?!" he exclaimed, lying on his back on the floor. She smirked.

"Street rules isn't it?" she retorted. "Plus it's payback for being so annoying." She then heaved a tired sigh and lay beside him on the concrete floor.

"I almost forgot, I need to show you something." He said.

"What is it?" she asked. Ryu quickly sprang up and ran to the bench where they had left their backpacks. He retrieved a basketball magazine from his book bag and started flipping through the pages.

"I found an article about you in here. They gave you quite a lot of praise Miss Ringmaster." He said with a smile. She raised a brow.

"Ringmaster?"

"Yeah, all the Uncrowned Generals have a nickname. You have one on your team; Kiyoshi isn't it? Anyways the Uncrowned Generals are players that are just as strong as the Generation of Miracles, and would have been part of them if the conditions were better; time, school and other things." Ryu explained. Kotone frowned a little.

"I don't know if just as strong is the right way to describe me. Articles always exaggerate. "She said.

"Oh come on, don't say that." He protested.

"If you were at that practice match you'd see I'm right." She said.

"But you beat those two Generation of Miracles members; Kise and Midorima."

"Yeah, but Aomine is a different story." She retorted.

"It's not that I don't think he's scary; believe me I've played him before. I just don't want that to stop you." He told austerely.

###

Kotone hid all feelings of uncertainty all throughout basketball practice afterschool. Things went smoothly. Nobody asked her about it, or worried about her, not even Riko. She decided to do some extra conditioning with Kagami after practice in a nearby court. He informed her all about Aomine and what she needed to know about him. He was an expert in street ball style, so Kotone's own street ball tactics would have no effect on him. She also told him about how the article she was featured in called her an Uncrowned General. He didn't give much of a reaction like Ryu had, instead he changed topics.

"So what was going on yesterday when you faced Aomine?" he asked. She tensed up immediately and gave no reply. He continued. "You were fumbling around like crazy. Did you injure yourself or something?"

"Of course I didn't." she denied.

"Then what the hell happened?" he demanded to know. She kept silent. Kagami palmed his forehead and heaved a distressed outbreath.

"You can really be annoying at times you know that." He retorted. "Fine you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But keep your skills sharp, our game with them is a very important one got that? C'mon, shoot again." He said, passing the ball to her. She stood right outside the three point line, got into formation and prepared to release it.

"Oi." She heard someone holler. It wasn't Kagami, but another familiar deep voice. Her body shuddered and when she shot the ball it bounced off the backboard. Kotone and Kagami turned around. The basketball rolled and came to a halt at Aomine's feet. Like before, her eyes were wide with fright.

"Practicing I see." he said with his usual broad smirk as he picked up the ball. "Good Kotone." He said tossing her the ball.

"What're you doing here?" Kagami questioned.

"I wanted to play Kotone again. But since you're here too Kagami I could face you instead." He replied in a haughty tone.

"Like hell I'd play with you." Kagami responded angrily.

"Fine then, Kotone, play me." He said. Again she felt that familiar coldness make her shiver.

"I don't feel like versing you again." She retorted, feigning strength in her voice.

"I'm not asking you how you feel; if I tell you to play, play." He said commandingly. She took a half step back and felt Kagami's strong hand on her shoulder.

"Don't make her do things she doesn't want to do." He said. Aomine smirked and chuckled softly.

"You keep disappointing me Kotone; even basketball magazines exaggerate over you. Make sure you work hard so you don't bore me at our next game." He advised sarcastically, throwing his jacket over his shoulders and walking away. That's when Kotone realized it; she couldn't face Aomine ever again. Even if she would get better, she knew she was too frightened to stand a chance.


	19. 嵐の前の静けさ

黒子のバスケ: 嵐の前の静けさ

Kuroko no Basket: The Calm before the Storm

_There is no such thing as pure pleasure; some anxiety always goes with it. ~ Ovid _

Days past and now it was just one more night before the night of the tournament. Riko made practice a little shorter than usual so the team could get a chance to calm their nerves. It was a very important match, and it was up against a strong team with plenty of strong players. The sky was turning shades of violet and blackish blue. Kotone spent her time practicing some more with Ryu; asking her for advice and instructions and new moves she could perform. Her only strengths she had so far were her bags of tricks that earned her the title Ringmaster, but she knew that wouldn't be enough. She perfected all her shooting techniques for almost two hours. Ryu had advised her to call it a day, but she refused and promised she'd stop after a few minutes.

"Don't start being stubborn again Koto-chan." He reminded. Kotone paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. Ryu got off the bench and dug his hands in his pockets.

"You're worried about the match, aren't you?" he asked. She nodded.

"Coach keeps telling us it's an important match; I don't want Seirin to lose because of me." she professed, shame-faced.

"I know this will sound a little cliché, but you know winning isn't that important; just have fun and enjoy yourself out there." He said. She grinned a bit.

"That really is cliché; what do you do if you win?" she retorted.

"What will you do if you lose?" he retorted. She took a moment, it was silent.

"My senpai told me about how they lost the championship and hated basketball so much that they were considering about quitting." She responded. He raised a brow at her and gaped.

"Don't tell me you're gonna quit if you lose." He said immediately.

"Ever since I started playing basketball, I didn't feel passionate about it like you. To me, it was just something I could get better at and prove myself to my family. Now, every time I'm on that court, I always want to win. If I don't then all my hard work would have been for nothing." She explained. A lengthy time of silence passed, though it felt like hours. The cold dusk breeze blew through their hair. Ryu shattered the quietness; he heaved a big outbreath of distress.

"I kinda had the same problem, but in my situation I'd get scolded and shunned if we lost. When I became captain of Ryuko all the heat was taken out on me. I started to hate basketball because of all of that, but I learned something that wouldn't shatter my passion for the sport." He began. With a puzzled expression, Kotone turned to him and asked.

"What did you learn?"

"I became kind of like a masochist." He replied. Dumbstruck, she gaped at him.

"Huh?!"

Ryu turned to look at her and laughed at her shocked expression.

"What I meant is that I take the insults I get and just not care about them. That's what makes a person unstoppable; no matter how hard you get hit, how hard you fall, or how hard your opponents try to break you, you just have to get up and enjoy the lashing. Like your friend, Kagami is it; he really seems to enjoy himself, even if he's facing a member of the Generation of Miracles. You have to not get intimidated by a strong opponent; you need to be excited, just like him." Ryu expounded. She gawked at him with skeptical eyes.

"Kagami likes to win though." She points out. "But I guess I kinda understand your masochistic concept; I like to face a strong opponent," she began, and then chuckled softly. "But I do like to kick their ass on the court."

Ryu laughed as well. "Well I guess that makes you a basketball sadist instead." He teased.

"Oh shut up Ryu." She retorted. "Anyways, thank you Toshiyuki-senpai, for everything." She acknowledged. His face became a shade of flustered pink.

"Oi, I said you don't need to add that honorific Koto-chan, you're making me blush." He said. "But, you're welcome."

"I just wish I can get rid of this dreaded anxiety." She said, taking a seat back on the bench. He sat beside her and handed her his sports drink.

"I know how you feel; the silence and seriousness before an important game is way too intense." He agreed. She nodded her head and gave a simple 'mmm-hmm' as a reply as she gave him back the bottle he lent her and wiped her mouth on her forearm. Ryu took a gulp of the drink next and then tucked it away in his backpack.

"Don't be nervous; I'll be in the stands cheering for you the whole game I promise." He assured, soothing some of her tensions.


	20. 私たちの戦いが来ている

黒子のバスケ:私たちの戦いが来ている

Kuroko no Basket: Our Fight has Come

"_I would tell players to relax and never think about what's at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you've lost your focus. "Basketball Quote by Michael Jordan_

Kuroko opened his eyes and his first sight the blank ceiling. He had rested comfortably during the night, even though he was a bit preoccupied about the upcoming game. His eyes strayed to the wall clock; 5:52 A.M. He reached for his cellphone on a drawer beside him and quickly texted Kotone a message.

###

Through the whole night Kotone had problems getting to sleep in her little cozy bed. She constantly tossed and turned at night until her blankets were all on the floor. She looked up at the window and she saw that the sun was rising, the sky a beautiful orangey pink color. The warm light began to enter through the window. She had only been able to sleep about five hours, instead of the full eight hours that Riko had advised. She then began hearing a faint buzzing sound.

Kotone tucked the stray locks of her dark brown hair behind her ear and reached for her cellphone at the foot of her bed. It was almost six; _Who could be texting me this early? _She wondered. Kuroko had texted her. Maybe he couldn't sleep either, she figured. She read his message. _**Today's the day. **_It said simply. She rolled her eyes; like she didn't know already. However, the uncomfortable anxiety lingered around her again. She reminded herself about Ryu's words. It comfort her a little bit. She quickly headed to the bathroom and slipped out of her black tank top and pink shorts to take a shower.

###

During class, Kagami couldn't sit still; he fidgeted around in his seat, tapped his foot excessively, or constantly clicked the button on his pen. He wasn't worried about who was going to win; he was excited to get the chance of facing Aomine and the rest of the team. He wanted the day to be over so badly so he could go and play against them. He looked over his shoulder at Kuroko, who had his face buried in a book like usual and looking half asleep. Kagami frowned. How could he be so calm right now? He wondered. But then he remembered it was Kuroko that they were talking about.

Then he turned his head to look at Kotone. She wasn't squirming around nervously like him, but she wasn't deadpan like Kuroko either. She look pretty composed, but the look in her eyes told another story. She looked scared, excited, and agitated all at the same time. He smiled a bit; he was relieved to see that she didn't back down yet. Every member must be nervous, he thought to himself, and the same could be said to their opposing team (excluding Aomine of course).

###

Even though the team had gone their separate ways after school, Kotone loitered about the gym for a while, wanting to get used to the feeling of being there. She sat on the bench and watched a few student volunteers and staff prepare the court for the upcoming game. The floor was scrubbed clean and coated in special wax to keep it shiny and in perfect condition for the players running on them. She listened intently on the clicking metallic sounds of the machines lowering down the two basketball hoops that were raised up when not in use. She remembered when Seirin faced against Shutoku; her first real game. The faint odor of the waxy shiny floor and squeaks of the volunteers' shoes brought those old feelings back. It was an assuring sensation, but at the same time it wasn't. She suddenly felt a fairly large hand rest on her head and mess up her brown locks. She looked up and saw it was Kagami. He didn't look very happy with her. She gaped at him.

"K-Kagami…?"

"Oi, what're you still doing here?!" he asked, messing up her hair more, enough to let the blue clip slide out. "You should be at home getting ready."

She pouted and swatted his hand away. "You messed up my hair, Bakagami (baka meaning stupid then -gami is added)."

"C'mon we should go." He said, disheveling her hair once again, knowing that it irritated her greatly but not seeming to care. She followed him out.

"Aren't you nervous?" she asked him as they strolled outside to the track.

"More like fired up. I can't wait to beat them again." He responded in an enthusiastic tone. She nodded.

"Yeah I guess." She replied weakly.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, turning the faucet of the water fountain to get a drink. She scowled at him.

"I'm just a little nervous; it's an important game after all." She retorted.

"Quit the bullshit already will you." He said, turning the faucet all the way and pressing his thumb against the pumping water. The water shot and drenched Kotone.

"Oi, quit it!" she exasperated. She wiped her face with the dry part of her shirt. "You just love to piss me off don't you?"

"I'd be lying if I say I didn't." he joked. "Don't be scared." He told.

"I won't." she assured. He was a little surprise; he expected the usual 'I'm not' but he didn't hear it this time. He grinned and then left.

###

The night that everyone awaited for had finally arrived. Kotone and Riko entered the boys' locker room when they had finished changing into their uniforms. They were all sitting on the benches dead silent. Kotone could feel the intensity of it all.

"I'm gonna step out for a bit." She said.

"Okay." Riko allowed. She then turned back and scowled at them. "Stop acting like zombies! We have a match to win!" she exclaimed, rekindling the excitement of it all.

The teams from other high schools were arriving; that included Kaijo and Shutoku. Kise was running late so the bleacher seats were all filled out. He managed to get a good view from the nosebleed section. There he spotted Midorima, wearing a pair of sunglasses as a crude guise like before.

"Not this old disguise again." Kise said. Midorima spun around instantly, a little startled.

"K-Kise?!" he exclaimed.

"What the hell are you doing; you said you didn't want to watch." He pointed out. Midorima folded his arms and frowned.

"Since everyone else was going I didn't want to be like an outlier. That's all." He lied. Kise didn't buy it.

"You're a tsundere like Kotocchi."

"Shut up!" he demanded. Then they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. It was Ryu and Kotone.

"Midorima-kun? Takao said that you didn't wanna watch." She said, surprised.

"Tsundere-san here lied." Kise interjected. Midorima gritted his teeth. "Anyways Kotocchi I want you to win."

Kotone gawked at him and he noticed that right away. He smirked. "Don't misunderstand; I want to get my revenge on you so you better win. Also, one more thing; make sure you payback Aominecchi for me."

Kotone stood firmly, eyes austere and nodded.

"You should get going now Koto-chan." Ryu said, resting both hands on her shoulders; he felt the tension in them. "You'll be great out there don't worry, I'll be watching. "Out of nowhere he planted a soft kiss on her cheek, surprising her. Her cheeks burned bright pink like cherry blossoms. He chuckled.

"It was for good luck." He replied, noticing her expression. Her cheeks still red she pouted.

"I know that." She said boldly, storming down the stairs.

###

The two teams lined up and faced each other; however Aomine wasn't there at the moment, so Kotone felt a little better. The referee threw the ball up into the air and they vied for it.


	21. 戦闘機の心

黒子のバスケ:戦闘機の心

Kuroko no Basket: Heart of a Fighter

_'Til the referee rings the bell_

_'Til both ya eyes start to swell_

_'Til the crowd goes home,_

_What we gonna do kid?" ~Lyrics from Fighter by Gym Class Heroes_

The basketball was thrown high into the air and the two teams sprang up high to get it. Kagami's fingertips managed to brush against the ball's surface and manipulate its direction. The ball landed in Kotone's hands and she sprinted for a fast break. _I have to be strong while he's not here _she thought to herself. However, she made the fatal mistake of underestimating the rest of the opposing players. Imayoshi caught up to her by the time she crossed to their half of the court. He snatched the ball away from her as she dribbled and threw it behind him. Wakamatsu caught it before Hyuga could intercept and then quickly passed it to Ryo. He made a simple jump shot, but his release was so fast that no one was able to react to it. The basketball swished through the net and the score board went to three.

(?!) _Unbelievable; it's not only Aomine. _She said to herself.

"You shouldn't be so anxious yet Makoto." She heard Imayoshi say. She shot a cold glare at him. He smirked broadly. "We're only the opening act; everything will really get going once Aomine gets here."

Kotone frowned, and then felt a shoulder rest suddenly on her shoulder. She turned and saw it was Kuroko.

"Don't get too worked up yet; you need to conserve your strength for when _he_ plays." He reminded. She nodded.

###

The first quarter ended after twelve minutes. The score at the moment was Tōō thirty-six and Seirin twenty-five. They were faring pretty well so far. It was break time and they rested up a little. After about five minutes or so, it was time for the players to get back in, or switch out with another teammate. Kotone began walking back onto the court, but then she saw Aomine stepping in to play. She froze in her tracks. Kagami noticed she wasn't beside him like before and frowned.

"What're you doing?" he asked, feeling a bit annoyed. She snapped out of it when she heard his voice. She shook her head and timidly took a half step back. He raised a brow. "C'mon we have to go."

"I want to switch out with Koganei." She forced out of her mouth uneasily and shaking. Her teammates stopped to gape.

"What do you mean?" asked Hyuga. They then realized that it was because of Aomine.

"I'm no good if he's there; besides you're out there." She said to Kagami. "You're the only one who stands a chance against him."

Kagami exhaled a distressed sigh. "You're gonna be the one facing him, not me. That's final" he stated. Her eyes widened.

"Huh?!"

"Kise faced him alone and so did I; don't expect others to fight your battles for you." He said in a scolding tone. She shrunk back a little.

"Alright I'll face him." She agreed, trying to steady her voice so she wouldn't stutter. She stepped in.

"So I finally get to see you again Kotone." She heard Aomine say as she walked onto the court. His deep voice sent the familiar shiver up her spine. She didn't turn around to look at him or reply.

"Don't disappoint me." he told.

The game resumed and it was Seirin's ball. Kotone readied herself while Izuki looked around for someone open. However, Kise, Midorima and Ryu, who were spectators, noticed something strange. The defense was off balance. There were three people were surrounding Kotone and the other two were guarding the others.

"Is this the isolation technique you went on about?" Kise asked Midorima.

"It appears to be but I'm not too sure." He responded.

"This is no Isolation tactic." Ryu interjected, keeping a keen eye on the players. They looked at him, confused. "There leaving a small gap for Izuki to pass it to her, while the others are heavily blocked. There not singling her out so she can face Aomine only, as soon as she gets it the three are gonna pressure her with offense immediately." he expounded.

"But won't that be considered fouling her?" Midorima asked.

"I've done and seen this tactic before; there are ways around it." he replied. They then returned their focus to the game. Like Ryu had predicted Izuki had fallen for the bait and passed it to Kotone. No one intercept it. She started dribbling and sprinting to their basket goal. Wakamatsu and Imayoshi stayed close by her side and tried stealing it.

(?!) their movements were too fast for her to see. She became unbalanced and started fumbling, but she managed to keep the ball in her possession. Out of nowhere Aomine charged at her, stole the ball from her hands and she fell down, not knowing if he hit her or not. She could hear some members of the audience uproar when he charged her. She was so focused on the other two that she forgot about Aomine.

Kagami and Hyuga tried stopping him but because of his unconventional street ball maneuvering, they were unable to. Kagami didn't give up though; he sprang up into the air, trying to stop Aomine from making the shot. It looked like he was going to stop him, but he laid his back down a bit and shot it, making the arc of the shot higher to pass Kagami's block. It hit the backboard and swooshed through the net. The crowd cheered at the stunning feat and Tōō's score was now thirty-nine. Riko stormed to the referee.

"What was that bullshit; he charged her!" she shouted loudly, enough so some of the audience could hear. The spectators up roared again.

"Number fourteen wasn't in a defensive position and she might have fallen because she was unable to control her speed. No foul will be called and the basket counts." He claimed audibly. Ryu clenched his fists and grinded his teeth.

"See, there are ways to gang up on a player without getting fouled. " Ryu said, masking his anger.

"Yeah you're right—"Kise stopped when he saw Ryu hurry down the steps. "Wait where're you going?!"

Seirin called a short time out so they could check if any injuries were inflicted on Kotone. She sat on the bench as Riko examined her.

"Your numbers are lowered but nothing seems damaged." She said. Kotone nodded and then heard a ruckus going on from the other side of the court where the opposing team was. She looked up and saw it was Ryu. She hurried over there and saw that Ryu had maybe bad mouthed them and then throw a sports drink all over Wakamatsu.

"What the hell was that for?!" he screamed.

"Sorry, but you pissed me off." Ryu apologized sarcastically, his voice calm but threatening.

"Ryu what do you think you're doing?" Kotone questioned, grabbing hold of his shirt. He gave no reply. Kotone was mad at them too and if she was like before she might've done the same, but she controlled it better than he did. She bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry about that." She lamented.

"What're you apologizing for?" Wakamatsu inquired.

"Toshiyuki-senpai is my responsibility, so…" she began, taking the sports drink in her hands and taking off the top. She closed her eyes, raised it high and spilled the water on herself. Her hair was soaking wet, little droplets streaming down the tips of her locks and the top of her shirt was damp. "This should make us even." She finished. They gave no reply, and kept silent.

"C'mon." she said, tugging at Ryu.

"You've become a good sport now." He complimented as they walked back. She smiled.


	22. ミスリングマスターのトリック

黒子のバスケ: ミスリングマスターのトリック

Kuroko no Basket: Miss Ringmaster's Tricks

_I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins_

_Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break_

_Better be ready, hope that you feel the same_

Ryu had cooled himself off and returned to the high nosebleed section of the gym. The match resumed again. Kotone caught Aomine's glare; like Kagami had told her, she was to face him by herself without further assistance unless she asked for it. At the moment it was Tōō's ball now. Wakamatsu saw that Aomine was wide open and passed it to him. However, out of nowhere Kuroko intercepted the pass and manipulated its direction to Kotone. But, knowing Kuroko's moves, Aomine got the ball right back. Frustrated, she hurried, gaining incredible speed so she could keep up with him and get the ball back.

"You're pretty quick." He said with a broad smirk as both their sneakers squeaked against the floor and their bodies constantly shifting. She scowled at his remark and stretched her hand out so she could seize it, but his movements suddenly changed. He returned to his swift, unpredictable and tricky street ball style; the style he knew Kotone was hopeless against. Her heart started thumping harder and harder as she kept a close eye on the ball which bounced around wildly near his feet; it felt like it was going to burst from the adrenaline that had built up right away. Despite this she continued her quick pace. He smirked at her.

"Just what are you trying to do? Trying to steal it from me?" he mocked. She gritted her teeth.

"I've had enough of you, you arrogant bastard!" she cursed, speeding up even more. She started losing balance and missing Aomine even more. "Dammit!" she cursed at herself.

Then she remembered one of Ryu's tips, to remain calm when facing off against strong players. She backed off a somewhat lengthy distance. Aomine paused as well as he dribbled the ball, waiting for Kotone's next move. After a second, he saw that she wasn't going on offense, he rushed her. As soon as she saw him take a step, she rushed as well, but moving even faster than him. With a slight of hand she snatched the ball, and sprinted right past him.

(?!) Both teams were in a moment of shock.

"She broke past him!" Midorima exclaimed.

"At a girl Koto-chan." Ryu praised under his breath with relief.

"Hurry Makoto!" Hyuga yelled as he ran, with the other players who were rushing to the other side of the court. She was ahead, but Imayoshi and Wakamatsu had caught up with her in no time. She knew they were fast, but not that fast. There was something that she didn't know either; they had full knowledge of her Circus Shooting abilities, thanks to Momoi. She had only made those shots within the two point zone but out of the little half-circle below the rim; the no charge zone where no charging penalty could be called, leaving her vulnerable.

"We've seen all you're tricks Miss Ringmaster." Wakamatsu shouted as he and Imayoshi drover her into the no charge zone.

"There's nowhere for you to run." Imayoshi said. She began to panic a little, her heart racing even faster; if she was to keep running, she'd step out of boundaries and it would be their ball; if she didn't she'd get run over by the offense. She had no choice. Kotone continued running, instead of passing it to any of her teammates. They became alarmed; she had nowhere to go.

As she sprinted she tossed it over her shoulder in a high arc. Imayoshi sprang up but the arc was too high. Her speed was uncontrollable now and she fell, sliding against the waxy floor on her shoulder. She looked up; the ball went in making their score thirty-nine to twenty-seven. Both teams were shocked and her new Circus Shot pleased the crowd as always. Momoi was a little surprised as well, but not that much.

"I thought she couldn't make shots from that position." said Tōō's coach Katsunori Harasawa. Momoi held her clipboard and tapped the bottom edge of the pen to her lips which curled into a small smirk.

"Yes but when it comes to players like her I expect nothing but surprises." She retorted.

Kotone began getting up, but she halted when she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. I must've fallen hard, she figured, holding onto it for a bit then letting go. She then saw a shadow of someone towering over her. It was Aomine; she instantly sprung up in a hurry.

"You didn't disappoint me after all; such a good girl." he teased in his usual deep slurry tone with a broad smirk. She scowled, but then smirked back.

"I'm glad I didn't." she retorted.

They returned onto the court and Kotone began dribbling the ball. Aomine noticed something wrong with the movement of her right arm. It looked unsteady.

"You're right shoulder's bad?" he asked with little to no concern. The corners of her mouth made a small smirk.

"Just a little, but don't go easy on me." she responded in a snippy attitude. He simpered.

"I don't intend to." He said. Kotone kept her eyes open and spotted Kagami wide open near the half court line. She dribbled it a little bit and then spun around once and hurled it to him, going right past Aomine's head. _Ignite pass?! _ The Tōō team thought.

"It's nowhere near Kuroko's strength." Midorima commented. "It's slower by a considerable amount, and it seems her limit is half-court instead of full court."

"You're a critique now aren't you?" Kise joshed with a smile, but then his expression became austere. "But then again her right shoulder might've become injured."

Ryu laughed softly and smiled. "She'll pull through you'll see." he assured.

Kagami had possession of the ball and made a fast break, dunking the ball. The score was now twenty-nine to thirty-nine; only ten points away. Kotone came up behind Wakamatsu and stole the ball from him. Her right shoulder started to ache by the time she got to her shooting zone. Two players got in front of her. She veered on her toes and maneuvered around them until she was at the three point zone. Wakamatsu blocked her. Seeing no way out, Kotone switched the ball to her left hand and tossed it over her shoulder in the same exact way with her right one.

"What the hell?" Wakamatsu questioned under his breath. The ball went in with ease and it made Seirin's score thirty-two to thirty-nine. "What's with that damn shot?!" he said loudly. Kotone exaggerated by placing her hand on her ear.

"Don't shout, I'm right next to you." She snapped. "Ugh, you remind me of that annoying, over excited Kaijo power forward Hayakawa." She said as she started walking back. Adrenaline was still rushing through her veins but the good kind; she didn't feel scared anymore. She had finally obtained the same masochistic personality as Ryu.

"What just happened Momoi-san?" Ryo asked as the team gathered during the break.

"Her right shoulder was messed up wasn't it?" asked Wakamatsu.

"She must be ambidextrous." Momoi figured. "Such a useful talent."

"What should we do?" Imayoshi asked.

"You're thinking too hard about this." Aomine interjected. "No matter how you think about it, all she has is a bag of tricks and she already pulled out the trump card in her sleeves."


	23. 再び立ち上がってがんばれ

黒子のバスケ: 再び立ち上がってがんばれ

Kuroko no Basket: Get up Again and Try Hard

_"What matters is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." – Paul "Bear" Bryant_

The third quarter of the match and zoomed right by. Seirin was catching up to Tōō quickly; they were almost tied. Tōō was ninety eight while Seirin was trailing behind with ninety one. One last break was granted to both teams before the fourth and final quarter began. Kotone could feel the strain her body had endured. It was a while since she had played such a fast paced, static game. She felt tired, but she had never felt so alive as well. She had performed all sorts of ridiculous trick and circus shots, but she was running out of ideas. If she was to play normally she wouldn't stand a chance. She wiped the sweat from her brow and the dripping perspiration that rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't tell me you're tired yet." Hyuga questioned with his commanding glare that he had when he was in clutch mode. She straightened up.

"No senpai." She replied in a firm tone. He smiled.

"Good girl; get ready, things have finally gotten started." He said, throwing her a towel. She dried the wetness from her neck, took a quick sip from her drink and got back onto the court with the rest of them. The intoxicating sensations from the intensity of it all made her mood change. It felt so incoherent; she was no longer scared of Aomine, but she didn't feel overconfident either. It simply felt like some fire was slowly starting up inside her chest.

Tōō had the ball in the beginning of the last quarter; Ryo quickly passed it to Imayoshi who managed to escape from Hyuga's block. However, before he could get his hands on it, Kotone came from nowhere and intercepted the pass. She sprinted so quickly that she looked nothing but a blur.

(?!) _What the hell, it's like she's gotten faster. _Imayoshi thought. She continued sprinting, with her teammates escorting her safely and the opposing team following quickly.

"Close the gap, don't let them through!" Hyuga ordered. They did as their captain had instructed and blocked the others, however Aomine got through of course. He felt so assured but then he got an odd feeling; the same feeling from when he was facing against Kise. Kotone had the same expressionless eyes as Kuroko and Kise had. Her speed had slowed down as she approached him. He waited for her next move.

Suddenly, she feigned a cross to the left, but then made a right crossover. He fell for the feint crossover and she got passed him. Instead of a trick shot that she normally did, she headed for the three point line. He rushed and jumped high into the air so she wouldn't be able to shoot. However, she ceased to stop. Like her game with Midorima, she sprung up high into the air, the same four feet vertical leap and then shot it with perfect form. It swished through the net and scored them three points; ninety four to ninety eight.

"She scored a three." Midorima said, almost speechless.

"Wait but that's the same outrageous jump like before." Kise commented.

Kotone's feet returned to the floor. Her legs still received pain, but for some reason she wasn't able to feel it at all.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Kagami scolded. "Are you trying to injure yourself again?"

"I scored the point didn't eye?" she retorted as she walked past him. "And my legs are still fine, see."

Riko frowned at the feat as she scrutinized Kotone for damages. The same damages were inflicted on her calves and leg muscles, but she didn't seem to be affected by the pain. This baffled her greatly.

"Is something wrong Coach?" Koganei asked.

"Well, it's not like I want it to happen, but shouldn't she be injured right now?" she questioned.

"Maybe she got used to it." Koganei replied. Riko held her chin, feeling puzzled as she continued to watch the game.

"But she's only performed that once; that's what I'm worried about." she said.

"Do you think Kotocchi's alright?" Kise asked. Ryu watched the players, especially Kotone and Aomine, with keen eyes. Then he noticed something that alarmed him.

"Oh no." he said distraughtly in a soft but audible tone. Midorima and Kise gawked.

"What's wrong?" Midorima asked. Ryu gave no reply; he was silenced by the anxiety that crept up on him.

Aomine and Kotone faced each other, one-on-one. Everyone else on the court seemed nothing but outliers simply sprinting after the two. It didn't seem like a one sided fight like it had been before, Aomine winning; it was an all-out brawl. Kotone's movements seemed to change; they were unpredictable and complex street ball movements like his, but it wasn't the same. Nonetheless, she gave him a run for his money.

The two began sprinting after each other, trying to steal from each other, and both making a handful of points. As they moved around each other in break neck speed, adrenaline rush began to take over. Not since Kise and Kagami had Aomine experience the exhilarating high when playing basketball against a fairly worthy opponent. Kotone felt it as well, and it made her extremely content in her heart. Both teams had requested a necessary time-out. They gave them five minutes.

"Not bad Kotone; you're finally putting up a decent match." Aomine said, though not feeling very impressed. She smirked, her dark brown eyes lighting up with a fire as she walked away. Kuroko noticed the spark in both their eyes and began feeling goosebumps. He suddenly felt someone push him.

"Oi, don't just stand their Kuroko." Kagami said. "What's wrong?"

"I'm getting the chills now." He replied with little emotion.

"Why?" Kagami asked. Kuroko gave no reply as he began getting lost in his mind. _This won't be good; they're both entering Zone. _He thought.


	24. すべてのアウト乱闘

黒子のバスケ: すべてのアウト乱闘

Kuroko no Basket: An All-Out Brawl

The phenomenon develops calmly, but it is invisible, unstoppable. One feels, one sees it born and grow steadily; and it is not in one's power to either hasten or slow it down. ~ Leon Foucault

"Zone?" Midorima asked. Ryu smiled a bit and chuckled.

"I thought all the members of the Generation of Miracles would know or possess Zone." He said.

"That's some special ability that enhances skills right?" Kise guessed.

"In a way, yes." Ryu replied. "Zone is simply a state of being that unleashes all you're skills. A person can enter zone when that person has found a worthy opponent and reached their full potential. When entering the Zone, one forgets everything and focuses solely on the game. Only the elite of the best of the best of players are allowed to enter the Zone, and both Aomine and Kotone seemed to have forced their way in."

"This should be a good thing." Kise said, meaning to assure him. Ryu remained firm and austere.

"It looks like it, at first glance. One of the basic requirements for entering Zone is having a love for the game, she might've found some passion for it but Kotone is still pretty weak. And to make things worse, she's extremely fragile right now." He said in a concerned and austere tone. They gawked at him, confused.

"But I thought Zone is supposed to power you up." Midorima interjected.

"It makes you completely oblivious to all the pain you endure on the court; you don't feel any of it. It's also really hard to remain that way for a long period of time. Once you come out of Zone all the pain that you didn't feel suddenly comes back all at once and seeing the damage Kotone's faced with right now, when it comes back it's really going to hurt." He explained.

"Wait, how do you know so much about this Zone?" Midorima asked.

"Yeah, you sound like a teacher." Kise joshed with a chuckle.

"If you ever noticed me during one of our matches you would've seen that familiar spark." He replied. They just gawked. "I can enter Zone whenever I want to and stay in that state for an entire match."

Something rushed back into Kise's mind and he tugged at Midorima's sleeve, pulling him aside.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I think I remember him now; do you remember our match against Ryuko High back in middle school?" Kise enquired.

"Yeah what about it?"

"He was the only one on that team who gave us any actual problems; their captain and an Uncrowned General who earned the nickname Dragon; Toshiyuki Ryu."

###

The fourth quarter started off with a bang. Aomine and Kotone went at each other hard like a war; that's how the court looked at the moment, a battlefield. The two had entered Zone and practically rendered their teammates useless. The two made a few baskets but the ball was being thrown back and forth, up and down without halt. Kotone's finally a threat. As long as that spark's there, there's no telling what will happen, Aomine thought.

Kuroko smacked the pass that was headed for Sakurai, and directed it to Kotone. Aomine used pressure defense on her, but she turned the tables by rapidly dribbling the ball and shifting it from both her hands. The opposing team was extremely cautious of this since they now knew she was ambidextrous, meaning she could shoot from any hand. She veered on her toes and maneuvered around Aomine. _She broke past me again?! _

Kotone sprang up high into the air so she could execute a dunk. Her teammates on the bench cheered loudly for her to make it. Momoi began to get chills as she watched both their movements. _This can't be… _she thought with fear. Aomine followed her and jumped into the air.

"Don't get too cocky kid!" he shouted as he tried to interfere with her shot. _No! _Momoi screamed in her head. However, when he attempted to block her it was clear to see that he pushed her. The referee blew on the whistle loudly and signaled it as a foul. Kotone smirked when she heard the sound she was waiting to hear.

"Got you." He heard her mock as she still wore that grin. _What the hell?! _He exclaimed in his mind.

She remembered seeing Kise and Aomine perform this trick shot from the matches that some of her upperclassmen recorded. Ryu taught her this move and made it look easy. It took her a couple of tries to get it right, but she made it _once _during her practice with him. All she needed to do was repeat that successful shot again. She tossed it over behind her back with her right hand; she had to time it just right. Her feet returned to the floor as soon as she released it. Everyone was silent. The ball hadn't gone in yet. It circled the rim tortuously for a moment and then tipped into the basket. The spectators roared in applause. The referee's jaw dropped and so did the whistle.

"Defense, black No. 5!" the referee hollered. "Foul; the basket counts, one free throw!"

"You're surprises are starting to piss me off a little kid." He said rather listlessly. She smirked and began to chuckle softly.

"Are you worried that," she began. "how you guys say 'A Good Little Girl' will beat you?" she asked. He shot a look back at her, the corners of his mouth curling to form a broad leer.

"Not at all." He replied confidently. "If anything I'm exhilarated. Like I said before, don't get ahead of yourself little girl." he retorted. She cringed when he said 'little girl.' She then felt Kagami's hand rest suddenly on her head. He was wearing a broad grin.

"You should be worried Aomine; you'll go from ace to loser by the end of all this!" he said in a fired up tone. Kotone wiped off the sweat dripping off her, breathing heavily. She had been playing hard the entire game with small breaks; she could feel her energizing high wearing off. _I can't stop now _she told herself _not when I'm so close. _


	25. それが終わるするまで戦い続け

黒子のバスケ: それが終わるするまで戦い続け

Kuroko no Basket: Keep Fighting Until It's Over

_I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. ~Abraham Lincoln_

The game had continued for a few minutes more after Kotone made the free throw she had received from Aomine's foul. Even though Kotone was still going strong, she made little errors that even her teammates could see. Her speed had decreased a bit, and her focus began slipping a little as well. _What the hell's wrong with me? _She asked herself as she ran down the court with ball in her possession. She got up to the three point line, bended her knees and got ready to shoot. When she sprang up she felt a sharp pain in her knee. It made her stumble and flawed her form.

"She's out of Zone now." Midorima commented.

"I was afraid of this." Ryu uttered honestly under his breath.

"Dammit!" she cursed, knowing her shot wouldn't make it. The ball did as she expected and bounced off the rim, not making it. The ball bounced on the floor a few times, landing in Ryo's possession. The Seirin team became frantic. _Not that quick three pointer! _Kotone shouted in her mind. She began sprinting to hopefully intercept his shot, but the pain in her knees struck her with another painful hit. She stopped midway and held the back of her knees. They were so close to being ahead; Seirin 125 points while Tōō was 133 with there was nine minutes and counting left. But, all she could do was watch helplessly as he quickly released his shot.

However, Kagami sprung up from nowhere and stopped the shot when it was already released and high in the air. The crowd and teams on the court were stunned at his astonishing feat. Kagami had gotten so much faster than before and his jumps seemed to have gotten higher as well. He then proceeded to make a dunk, maneuvering easily around the Tōō players. Relieved, Kotone glanced over at the scoreboard; 127 while Tōō was still 132, it was now a mere six point difference that could be easily made up. _We still have a chance _she thought optimistically.

"Oi." She heard Kagami say when he pushed her, making her stumble. "Don't forget about us."

"We're here also for a reason." Kuroko interjected. Her teammates gathered around her.

"Remember that we're not like them; unlike them we're truly a team." Hyuga said. "That doesn't mean we're going to interfere with your struggle with Aomine; that's your fight."

"But we'll help you only if you ask." Kuroko interjected again. "So don't be scared to rely on us once in a while."

She smiled radiantly at them. Her body ached but her spirits soared; that was enough for her to survive on. "Then I'll be counting on you guys." She said happily.

###

The ball again was thrown wildly around. Kotone was shooting less and less, letting her other teammates; Kagami, Kuroko, Hyuga and Mitobe to have a chance at shooting. Her sudden change from offense to defense caught the opposing team off guard and left them bewildered. However, she was still remaining a hindrance for them. She had learned how to be good at blocking and using the same pressure defense that Mitobe had taught Kagami, to push an opponent out of their comfort zone and not letting them do what they want.

She used this against Ryo, who was a threat because of his quick release. Even if he did get a chance he would always miss by little bit. _She's good at defending too?! _He asked in his head. Momoi had no idea how to guess Kotone's next moves; she knew that she should expect surprises, but this was strange. _She's starting to defend _Momoi thought. Kotone began using this technique against Aomine, who had the ball at that moment. The other Tōō players had blocked her teammates and forced them off to the sides, leaving a clear highway for Aomine to make a perfect shot; not that he needed it though. He broke right past her and began sprinting towards the basket; she dashed after him. This wasn't good, she thought.

Her mind began going blank, her heart pounded painfully in her tightened chest and it felt as if it were going to explode. Aomine sprang up high into the air to execute a dunk. Kotone followed up after him, jumping up high. _What the hell?! How can she still jump?! _He was still clear for she was still too far off to the right. Taking the chance, she twisted her body in midair, both her arms raised high and vertical. She felt her fingertips brush against the surface of the ball and with as much strength as she could muster in her slender digits; she snatched it and held onto it tightly as she returned to the floor.

"Keep it clear!" Hyuga yelled to his teammates. Like Tōō, they blocked and forced them to the sides to clear a pathway for her. Aomine sprinted after her and extended his arms out to snatch it away from her and caught up fast. Kotone didn't realize how close he was until she felt his arm and hand brush up against her forearm and he was nearly stepping on her heels. It sent a chill down her back. She heard the whistle blow loudly.

"Foul, holding! No. 5!" the referee called out loudly. Kotone tugged at the front of her shirt and wiped her dripping perspiration on her brow.

"This is no good, the state that I'm in." she whispered in an austere tone to herself. "I need to be faster."

"That's his second foul now, two more and he's out." Kise commented as he watched.

"The referee will be keeping a closer eye on Aomine because of that. Do you think she's fouling on purpose?" Midorima asked. Ryu kept his eyes focused on the court and players.

"Kotone's not the type to do that." He replied seriously. "Aomine's probably getting her now that she's weaker."

She panted as she headed back to defense.

"You really are full of surprises." She heard Aomine say. She turned around and she smirked at him.

"I'm glad I'm not making you bored." She simpered haughtily, masking the unbearable achiness she truly felt well. There were now only three minutes left and counting. Seirin was so close 132 while Tōō was still 133. The last few minutes were extremely intense, enough that the entire crowd in the bleachers roared and cheered through it all. Aomine and Kotone both knew that this was the perfect chance to settle their struggle.

The ball was thrown and passed wildly around the court like it usually did, but no matter what either Aomine or Kotone got their hands on the ball. He was careful to keep his hands visible and not to charge her or else he would be ejected from the game. Kotone was careful not make it look like she was fouling him out on purpose; that wasn't how she wanted to win. She sprinted after Aomine who was sprinting down the court to shoot. She forced herself to push the very limited strength in her legs. She managed to catch up to him as soon as he jumped from the free throw line. Kotone leapt up high into the air after him, using all of her might.

"I won't let you!" she shouted, her palm touching the surface of the ball. She smacked it out of his hands, quickly returned to the floor and regained possession of it, trying to execute a self-alley-oop. The experimental alley-oop worked and she headed to the three point line, however Aomine had caught up to her immediately, even though he was a good distance away. Her teammates sprinted up the court, but that was about the only thing we did. _Dammit, all we've been doing is running _Kagami thought _but we can't be tired yet, not while Makoto's trying so hard. _

Aomine was using the same blocking techniques that she had managed to learn. He pushed her out of her comfort zone and she was unable to make a clear shot. She dribbled it fast so he wouldn't be able to snatch it away, and then began maneuvering and veering away from him, trying to get a good distance. They swiftly sprinted around and dashed in half circles until both of them slowed down enough to a halt. Kotone's eyes were bright with faint light, but other than that they were mostly deadpan. He couldn't read her moves. There were so many moves she could execute so he didn't know how to prepare himself.

Her eyes quickly searched around and she saw Kagami who was wide open. She feigned a crossover to the right but then spun and threw it over her shoulder, passing it to Kagami. It reached his hands and he sprang up to dunk it in. Aomine quickly reacted and jumped after him. Kagami did as best as he could to stay suspended in the air as long as possible to make the dunk. Aomine raised his arms up into the air and his hands barely touched the ball. He managed to smack the ball away. It bounced on the floor. With feared eyes Kotone spun to look at the clock. Four, three, two, one and the agonizing sound of the buzz rang out. She stood still, paralyzed shook up.

"You were pretty good throughout most of it." she heard Aomine say. She scowled, putting a tough front. "But you made the same mistake Kise made; you relied on others. You're still not strong enough to be my equal yet, Kotone."

She muttered incoherently and softly as soon as he left her knees weak and giving in at last. She held in all her tears, and her throat ached because of it.

Ryu clenched his fists. He didn't feel angry or disappointed, but he felt sad, felt sad for her. He knew all too well what Kotone was feeling.

"She…lost…" he uttered in whisper.

"I can't believe this…" Kise said, his words trailing off.

Kotone was still on the floor, her head down, trying very hard not to let the tears escape and overflow.

"Oi." She heard Kagami say. She looked up and saw him offering his hand.

"K-Kagami…" she began hoarsely.

"Can you walk?" he asked. She gave a simple nod and kept her head down again. She suddenly felt his arms wrap around her sides and pick her up. Her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck, she could feel his damp red hair and he smelled of a faint odor of sweat.

"It's okay to cry." He said quietly as he lifted her off the ground. Even though he gave her permission she didn't cry. The two teams lined up in front of each other so they could do their usual words at the end of each match, but Seirin stayed silent; they had nothing to thank them for. Kotone could feel their intense feelings of animosity. She took a few steps, clenched her fists and swallowed her pride.

"Thank you very much!" she thanked with a sudden bow of her head. The Seirin team followed her lead and did the same bow, and so did their opponents.

"Thank you very much!"


	26. 諦めを拒否します

黒子のバスケ: 諦めを拒否します

Kuroko no Basket: I Refuse to Give Up

_That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning. ~ Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever_

Kotone sat still in the girls' locker room. It was all silent and all she could here was her own breathing. Her mind was still wrapped around the game and its conclusion. She couldn't grasp what had happened; she gave more than 100% and yet she still failed. This was the perfect opportunity, she thought, to let herself cry since there was no on but her there. She wanted to, but she heard the doors open and footsteps. Quickly, she gulped some water so she couldn't.

"Makoto-kun, are you here?" she heard Riko ask.

"Yeah I'm here." She replied, trying to keep her voice steady. Riko found her and sat beside her on the bench.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired, resting a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"Fine." She responded quickly.

"C'mon we should go meet up with the rest of the others."

"Okay." Kotone said, picking up her gym bag.

###

Meanwhile the guys of the Seirin team sat in the boys' locker room, changed out of their sweat smelling jerseys and into their sweats. They were obviously down in the dumps because of their loss, but it didn't bother them that much; Seirin had their own losses before, so they could easily push the feeling aside. With no warning, Riko suddenly bursted through the doors.

"Makoto-kun's coming!" she warned. Everyone panicked a bit.

"Okay whatever you do, don't mention out match!" Hyuga ordered. Kotone came staggering in on cue.

"Hi guys." She greeted in an exhausted tone.

"Hi Makoto, great game huh?" Koganei said uncontrollably. Riko smacked him upside the head.

"What did we just discuss?!" she scolded as he rubbed the area she struck. Kotone forced a smile and soft chuckle.

"Yeah it was I guess; we all had fun at least right?" she responded, obviously feigning her happiness. They silently gaped at her, feeling puzzled. She clearly doesn't want to tell us how she really feels they all guessed. Hyuga gulped down a drink of water and then grinned.

"Don't worry; we'll pay them back in full when winter comes around. We're just gonna have to try a little harder next time." he assured them. Kotone grinned as well and staggered over to Kagami, draping an arm around his.

"Well you guys get going; I have to talk to Bakagami here for a bit." She joshed. Kagami glowered at her.

"Oi, what was with that insult?!" he exasperated.

"So you two are finally friends." Kuroko commented with a meager smile. "That's good I'm glad. I'll see you later Kagami-kun."

Kagami blushed a bit. "Just get going."

The team dispersed and exited the locker room and after a few more moments the two were alone.

"So what do need to talk to me about?" he questioned. "And will you get your arm off me." he griped, trying to move away her forearm. She released him and she slowly slid down to the floor.

"Ugh, I'm so tired I can hardly stand…" she whined somewhat casually as she fell down. He gawked at her, but then saw her hands cupped around her eyes and soft whimpering sounds. He became alarmed; after everything he had never seen her cry before.

"Oi, what're… you want me to see you crying like this?" he asked her, not knowing what he could say. She wiped the overflowing tears that streamed down with her hand.

"Sh-shut it." she said in a very unsteady voice. Her cheeks burned a furious reddish pink and her eyes glistened with tears. He heaved a distressed sigh and lowered his tone to something more empathetic. He kneeled down at eye level.

"What are you crying for?" he asked. "Is it because we lost or…" she cut him off.

"I-I'm not even sure myself; even though I promised myself—that I wouldn't cry no matter what happened!" she replied, sounding a little frustrated through her cries. He sat beside her and then suddenly hugged her, catching her by surprise.

"Huh… K-Kagami…?" she muttered, but then he cut her off.

"Don't get the wrong idea; you never tell anyone how you're feeling so you can't blame me for reacting so poorly to your crying." He claimed adamantly. She could feel his hand brush lightly through her hair; she hugged him back, but not tightly, knowing not to react like he said.

"Whatever you say." She mumbled. "Thank you."

###

Kagami's comforting still didn't wash away the feelings she had. She met up with Ryu outside of the school building. Her mouth was kept shut and her head was bowed down as she walked up to him, almost as if she was scared of something.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded, keeping her head down. Ryu remained silent and still, waiting for her to say something. Kotone mustered up some courage and looked up at him, her face still pink and rosy and her eyes still glimmering.

"R-Ryu-nii." She began unsteadily.

"Yeah?"

She raised both her arms up. "C-can you please carry me home?" she requested uneasily, her face flustered. He formed a meager smile and turned around.

"Of course." He said, lifting her up on his back. She wrapped her arms loosely about his neck and then snuggled comfortably against his head, the wisps of his dark blue hair tickling her face.

"Ryu-nii; is it okay, if I take a break from basketball for a while?" she asked.

"Do whatever you want." He replied impassively.

###

They arrived back at Kotone's house at around eight or after. Kotone had fallen into a light nap as they traveled home, making it easier for her to fall off. Ryu didn't mind having to stop so he could hold her better; he knew what she was feeling so that was the least he could do.

"Koto-chan, wake up we're here." He woke up gently. She mumbled a bit and her eyes fluttered slowly open.

"Oh, thank you Ryu-nii." She acknowledged as she stepped down. They stared at each other for a moment and then abruptly Ryu threw his arms around her and embraced her tightly. She tightly hugged him back. They remained in that comfortable cuddle for a while, not caring if anyone stopped to look. After a few moments they released each other and said their goodnights.

She slept uneasily, thinking about what he had said to her. He couldn't tell what he was thinking, because his tone was deadpan and emotionless. She didn't want to disappoint him, but she didn't want to make herself sad either.


	27. 僕の選択

黒子のバスケ: 僕の選択

Kuroko no Basket: My Choice

_Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. ~ Napoleon Hill_

Kotone had requested to Riko that she needed to miss a few practices so her leg injuries could heal. She allowed this and gave her three days. After that, she came to practice, but whenever she showed up she looked miserable, and then she'd leave early saying that she didn't feel well. She continued with this routine for almost a week, showing up to practice less and less until she had not arrived for almost five days. This irritated both Hyuga and Riko.

"I know she got really shook up from losing against Aomine, but this is a bit too much." Riko griped.

"I'm upset too, but do you think she might…?" Hyuga began, but then was cut off by a suddenly angry Kagami.

"Makoto isn't that kind of person!" He interjected with frustration. He felt the back of his knee jabbed harshly; he spun around and saw it was Kuroko.

"You don't know that Kagami-kun." He said with his usual blank expression. Kagami gritted his teeth, and clenched his teeth, but managed to refrain himself from punching the lights out of Kuroko.

###

Kotone ceased from doing her homework and changed into her sweats and grabbed a jacket. From her garage she picked up her basketball and told her eldest sister Okamine that she was heading out for a bit. She hadn't spoken to Ryu for quite a bit; she was too scared to face him after that, too scared of what he would think of her, even though he promised his feelings wouldn't change no matter what.

She arrived at the basketball court in the park and stood solemnly at the three point line. Even thought it was only a couple of weeks, it felt like years that she had never felt the rubbery surface of a basketball. Ever since Ryu had begun practicing with her, she felt its texture almost every day; being away from it for so long felt strange. She threw it up into the air and it went in, swooshing through the net. Her skills had remained the same. The ball bounced and rolled, stopping at someone's feet. She was surprised to see that it was Kise. He picked up the ball and smiled at her.

"Hi, Kotocchi." He greeted happily. She frowned a bit, but she didn't feel angry.

"Please don't call me that." She demanded.

"Sorry." He apologized sarcastically, throwing her the ball. She caught it in both hands.

"So why are you here?" she questioned.

"I actually came to town to see how Seirin was doing, since we'll be seeing each other soon in the winter cup. But they told me something interesting; they said you haven't arrived at practice for weeks, care to explain?"

"Why do you care?" she snapped.

"I felt the same when I lost to him." He said instead. She listened intently. "I hated the game so much; but my teammate picked me off my feet and consoled me. That's when I realized that to actually feel the win is to work with your teammates. What you did wasn't a mistake; you did the right thing." He expounded. She said nothing and just gaped at him.

"Also don't you dare quit until I've gotten the chance to beat you on the court." He said with a smirk. She smirked back.

"Good luck." She retorted.

"One more thing; I don't think your boyfriend Toshiyuki-kun would like it if you gave up on your dreams of playing basketball." He added. She blushed a bit and her eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights. She quickly made a scowl.

"He's not my boyfriend." She corrected.

"Yeah, yeah it's a platonic friendship or whatever; anyways I'll see you later." He said, walking off.

###

Kotone thought about all that Kise had said to her as she dawdled back home. She felt kind of selfish, not considering how her moping around would affect Ryu and her teammates. She spotted Ryu walking down her street with a bag in hand. He noticed her as well.

"Oh, there you are Koto-chan." He greeted. "I thought you weren't feeling well so I wanted to get you this." From the plastic bag he pulled out a pink box of Pocky that had Hello Kitty on it; it was strawberry flavored with little pink sugar sprinkled on it, her favorite. She thanked him simply, opened it up and started eating.

"Ryu, I've decided." She began.

"Decided on what?" he asked, confused.

"About whether or not I want to continue with basketball." She replied.

"Remember I'll be fine with whatever you decide on." He reminded. She grinned up at him.

"I know." She said, giving him a quick hug. He hugged her back, and then held her cheek, planting a light fleeting kiss on the forhead.

###

The next day, the Seirin team gathered in the gym after school for practice like usual. When they entered little by little they came to a surprise; Kotone was there, changed in her gym uniform and dribbling a basketball.

"Makoto?" Riko uttered. She turned around and smiled.

"It's about time that you guys showed up." She joshed.

"What're you…" began Kagami, but then was interrupted.

"I'm sorry for skipping practice; I'll make it up coach." She said.

"It's not that." Riko said.

"We thought you quitted basketball." Hyuga informed. She grinned a bit.

"I can't quit; not when I have to help you guys out." She said. They all smiled at her, happy that she had bounced back from her depression, and that she hadn't given up all hope.

* * *

**Hi everyone! This is the final chapter of Unwilling to Stop so get your fill of you for all the views and I might consider making another story, of Kotone facing the rest of the GoM and others (Murasakibara, Akashi, Hanamiya and maybe a rematch with Aomine) if you all think it's okay. But, for now _See you! ~ Love Roriko_**


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